THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 

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From  the  Library  of 
Henry  Goldman,  Ph.D. 
1886-1972 


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aP 


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in  2007  with  funding  from 

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http://www.archive.org/details/capelsionOOevaniala 


By  the  Scone  Author. 

MY  PEOPLE. 

Stories  of  the  Peasantry  of  West  Wales. 
By  Caradoc  Evans. 

Fifth  Edition.  Price  5s.  net. 

Ddlu  Telegraph. — "  A  book  of  remarkable  power." 
Outlook- — "The  book   has  held  us  entranced,  left 

ut  amazed." 

Patch. — "  Quite  one  of  the  most  remarkable  books  I 

have  encountered  for  a  long  time." 


Andrew  Melrose, Ltd.,  3,  York  St.,  W.C. 


GAPEL  SION 


GAPEL  SION 


GARADOG    EVANS 

Author  of  "My  People" 


BONI    AND    LIVERIGHT 

NEW   YORK  1918 


ft. 


CONTENTS 


I 

Redemption      .... 

8 

II 

The  Word 

17 

III 

The  Tree  of  Knowledge 

81 

IV 

Three  Men  from  Horeb 

.       49 

V 

The  Pillars  of  Sion 

81 

VI 

The  Widow's  Mite 

81 

VII 

Calvary            . 

95 

VIII 

Sons  of  their  Father     . 

109 

IX 

A  Mighty  Man  in  Sion    . 

119 

X 

A  Sacrifice  unto  Sion     . 

188 

XI 

The  Deliverer         . 

147 

XII 

Judges  . .         .         .         .         .         . 

167 

XIII 

A  Keeper  of  the  Doors 

179 

XIV 

The  Acts  of  Dan    . 

191 

XV 

The  Comforter        . 

211 

rii 


REDEMPTION 


B 


REDEMPTION 

There  was  a  young  man  whose  piety  was 
an  adage,  for  his  heart  was  filled  with 
the  glory  of  Sion.  His  manner  was  hum- 
ble ;  on  the  Sabbath  his  face  was  habited 
in  a  religious  smile  and  his  lips  framed 
the  words  "  Big  Man  "  or  "  White  Jesus 
bach."  Once  in  the  Seiet  the  Ruler 
of  the  Pulpit  said  to  him  :  "  Eevan  Rhos, 
man,  mouth  your  experience."  He  an- 
swered :  "  Not  saintly  enough  is  my  voice 
to  be  raised."  Of  him  this  was  spoken  : 
"  He  breathes  to  the  Big  Man." 

A  woman  came  to  labour  in  his  house 
and  on  his  land.  Her  name  was  Hannah 
Harelip,  and  she  was  from  the  House  of 
the  Poor  in  Castellybryn.     She  was  aspir- 

8 

v 


CAPEL    SION 


ing  and  covetous,  and  because  Evan  would 
not  let  her  be  mistress  over  all  that  was 
his,  she  oppressed  him  with  the  burden  of 
her  sin.  But  the  Big  Man  freed  Evan  and 
joined  him  and  Jane  Pant  in  marriage. 
On  a  day  Evan  viewed  his  possessions 
and  was  grieved  that  his  wealth  was 
so  small.  He  said  to  himself :  "  Save 
much  would  I  if  I  had  a  reaper  and 
binder,  and,  dear  me,  there's  a  mouth- 
ful of  butter  I  churn.  Glad  would  I 
be  of  a  machine  separator."  At  night- 
fall he  came  into  the  house  and  com- 
manded his  servant  Hannah  Harelip  to 
put  axle  grease  on  his  Sabbath  boots 
and  on  his  leggings,  and  he  went  to  the 
edge  of  the  pond  and  cleaned  his  face. 
Early  on  the  morrow — which  was  the 
Saturday  of  Barley — he  rode  forth  on  his 
pony  to  Cardigan,  and  before  he  entered 
the  town  he  prayed  in  these  words : 
"  Big  Man  bach,  don't  you  let  any  old 
woman    cheat    me    now.     Be    with    your 

4 


REDEMPTION 


Preacher  in  Sion.  Amen."  He  stabled 
his  pony  and  walked  hither  and  thither 
in  search  of  a  wife. 

At  dusk  he  returned  and  said  to  Han* 
nah  :  "A  mishtress  is  coming  to  Rhos. 
What  think  you  ?  " 

"  Misthir  !  Misthir  !  "  cried  Hannah. 
1  Jokeful  you  are,  now,  indeed." 

"  Truthful  is  my  saying,"  Evan  an- 
swered. "  Is  she  not  Jane  Pant  ?  Nice 
little  farm  is  Pant." 

Soon  it  was  noised  abroad  that  Jane 
Pant  was  wedding  Evan. 

"  Rich  is  Jane's  father,"  said  one. 

Another  remarked  :  "  And  husband 
ripe.  Too  religious  is  poor  Eevan  to  know 
what  to  do." 

Now  Hannah  Harelip  was  a  jealous 
woman,  and  she  had  set  her  affection 
to  Evan  ;  and  her  distress  was  sore  that 
the  man  was  going  to  marry  a  wife.  She 
considered  how  to  ensnare  him,  and  it  was 
so  that  she  caused  him  to  say  to  her  : 

5 


CAPEL   SION 


"  Come  you,  small  wench,  and  I  will 
fondle  you." 

Hannah,  who  knew  a  little  of  the  ways 
of  man,  ran  from  Evan  as  one  alarmed, 
and  as  she  moved  her  petticoats  fell  upon 
the  ground,  and  she  pretended  to  be 
greatly  ashamed.  "  O  mishtir  bach," 
she  cried,  "  here's  dishonour.  Bare  as 
a  bald  pate  am  I."  While  she  bent  to 
settle  her  garments,  Evan  seized  her, 
and  whispered  :  "  Wench  very  all  right 
you  are." 

"  Eevan  Rhos,"  said  Hannah,  "  frisky 
you  feel,  man." 

After  many  days  were  passed,  Hannah 
spoke  to  her  master  :  "  Well,  well — mish- 
tress  of  Rhos  I  shall  be,  for  sure." 

Her  saying  did  not  please  Evan  because 
she  was  become  odious  in  his  eyes.  "  What 
iobishness  you  speech,  you  bad  boar ! 
Go  you  about  your  business  in  a  great 
haste,  you  adder." 

But  Hannah  neither  departed  nor  re- 
6 


REDEMPTION 


mained  silent :    "  Have  I  not  served  you 
as  a  woman  ?  " 

"  Iss,  indeed,  laboured  very  well  you 
have  on  my  land.  Don't  you  blobber 
old  things,  good  maid.     Off  you,  then." 

"  Lively  are  things  in  me,  Mishtir 
bach.  Better  now  that  I  sit  in  your  pew 
in  Sion." 

"  Go  away,  female,"  Evan  rebuked 
Hannah.  "An  hireling  you  are.  Born  you 
were  in  sin.  Has  not  the  Big  Man  put  a 
heated  poker  on  your  lips  ?  Dirty  smell 
of  a  mule,  pray  for  forgiveness  for  your 
awful  act.  High  Father,  an  innocent  boy 
bach  was  the  male  of  Rhos  until  I  was 
provoked  by  Satan's  daughter." 

Hannah  would  not  give  over  pressing 
Evan  to  marry  her.  She  said  to  him  : 
"  See  you  how  I  am  swelling  ?  " 

"  What's  the  matter  with  you  ?  Dis- 
ease of  the  swine  ?  " 

"  No,  no,  man.  Know  you  who  made 
me  so  and  such." 

7 


CAPEL    SION 


"  Hannah  Harelip,"  said  Evan,  "  angry 
is  the  Big  Man  with  you.     I  cannot  say 
less." 

"  A  lump  you  are  for  pleading,"  replied 
Hannah. 

Evan's  mind  was  afflicted.  He  ad- 
monished his  servant  in  prayer  and  in 
her  presence.  "  The  strumpet  from  the 
House  of  the  Poor  accuses  me  in  my  face. 
Four  large  white  shillings  a  week  will 
she  make  me  pay  her.  There's  a  wench 
for  you,  Big  Man.  But  don't  you  now 
smite  her  dead  with  a  stroke.  Very  for- 
giving am  I."  To  Hannah  he  said : 
"  Evil  female,  I  was  not  bad  with  you." 

"  Mishtir,  no  sense  you  cry,"  said 
Hannah. 

"  Close  your  head,"  Evan  shouted. 
"  You  are  less  than  a  sour  apple." 

Hannah  would  not  suffer  the  man's 
denial,  and  she  piled  up  her  courage,  and 
stood  up  before  Evan  :  "  Mishtress  of 
Rhos  I  shall  be.     Or  large  is  the  money  I 

8 


REDEMPTION 


shall  get.     In  the  sessions  I'll  put  you." 

In  that  manner  were  Evan's  blessings 
disturbed.  Although  Hannah  was  told 
that  it  is  against  God's  will  for  a  servant 
to  charge  her  master,  that  God  does  not 
permit  them  who  sit  in  the  loft  of  Sion 
to  murmur  against  them  who  sit  on  the 
floor  and  in  the  high  places,  she  refused 
to  be  pacified  or  to  give  over  her  de- 
sign. 

There  came  an  hour  at  which  Evan 
governed  his  anger,  and  spoke  kindly 
to  Hannah.  He  said :  "  Tidy  bit  of 
hay  in  the  narrow  field." 

"  Iss.     Thickish,  indeed." 

"  Gather  her  in  we  will  on  the  third 

day.     Want  you  I  do  to  go  on  top  of  the 

rick,  and  govern  her  will  I  on  the  ground." 

"  Very  well,  Mishtir,"     Hannah    uttered: 

Then  Evan  softened  his  voice  :  "  How 
you  was  ?  " 

"  Pains  are  within,"  replied  Hannah. 

"  Thought  of  this  thing  have  I,"  Evan 
9 


CAPEL   SION 


answered.     "  How  speak  you  of  a  little 
wedding  ?  " 

"  Mishtir  bach,  there's  joy  you  spout. 
Well,  well,  now,  I  shall  be  Hannah  Eevan 
Rhos." 

Evan  proceeded  :  "  Marry  will  we  in  the 
office  of  the  old  Registrar  in  Castell- 
ybryn  as  soon  as  the  corn  harvest  is  over. 
But  listen  you,  now,  wench :  if  persons 
inquire  of  you  by  whom  you  are  big,  say 
you  by  a  boy  of  a  weaver  from  Drefach. 
A  religious  sampler  am  I  in  Sion.  Do  you 
act  then  as  I  say." 

At  the  gathering  in  of  the  hay,  one  said 
to  Hannah :  "  Whose  buttermilk  have 
you  been  drinking  ?  " 

Another  asked :  "  The  Schoolin's,  or 
have  you  eaten  brown  sugar  at  Shop 
Rhys  ?  Boys  very  maleish  are  the 
boys." 

Hannah  laughed  without  shame,  and 
she  answered  as  Evan  had  instructed  her 
to  answer. 

10 


REDEMPTION 


As  the  last  of  the  hay  was  pitched, 
Evan  placed  a  ladder  in  the  cart  and 
rested  it  against  the  rick.  "  Come  down, 
now,   Hannah  Harelip,"  he  said. 

The  moment  the  woman's  feet  rested 
on  the  second  rung,  the  horse  that  was 
in  the  cart  stepped  forward  briskly,  where- 
at Hannah  fell  upon  the  ground.  Evan 
turned  his  face  to  the  women  who,  scat- 
tered about  the  door  of  Rhos,  were  eating 
flummery  oatmeal  and  skimmed  milk,  and 
cried  loudly  :  "  The  wise  women  among 
you,  come  here.  My  servant  Hannah 
has  dropped  the  child  of  the  weaver 
boy." 

The  women  came,  and  having  asked 
questions  of  Hannah  and  examined  her, 
said  :  u  Thanks  to  the  Big  Man,  the  child 
is  all  right." 

"  Good  that  is,"  said  Evan.  "  Sinful 
to  destroy  a  life.  Burning  in  hell  is 
Pharaoh  for  his  designs  upon  Moses 
bach." 

11 


CAPEL   SION 


The  hay  workers  departed,  and  Evan 
and  Hannah  went  into  the  house  and  at 
the  end  of  their  labour  Evan  raised  his 
voice  :  "  Not  fit  that  you  overwork  on 
the  morrow.  Sit  you  down  and  rest." 
When  the  morning  was  come,  and  he  had 
been  into  the  fields,  he  said  :  "  Bad  jasto, 
great  is  the  havoc  the  crows  are  making 
of  my  wheat." 

"  Useless  is  the  scarecrow,  then,"  said 
Hannah. 

"  Iss — iss,  for  sure.  Large  is  the  waste 
already.  Shoot  them  I  must.  Dear  me, 
now,  clean  you  my  little  gun.  Making 
a  jaunt  am  I  to  ask  Old  Ianto  of  the  Road 
to  come  and  dig  open  the  well." 

Hannah  did  as  she  was  bidden,  and 
inasmuch  as  she  was  not  familiar  with 
guns  she  pressed  her  hand  upon  the 
trigger  of  it,  and  the  gun  fired.  She 
trembled  in  her  fear,  and  then  she  shrieked 
out  that  she  was  killed. 

At  midday,  Evan  came  back  and  he 
12 


REDEMPTION 


said  to  her :  "  Sad  is  this.  Go  will  I 
and  bring  the  women." 

Hannah  stayed  him  :  "  No— no,  Eevan 
bach.     Healthy  is  my  inside." 

"  Two,  hap  three  crows,"  Evan  wailed, 
"  the  powder  and  shots  might  slay." 

Old  Ianto  of  the  Road  opened  the 
well — which  is  midway  between  the  gate 
of  the  close  and  the  door  of  Rhos — and 
there  was  much  water  in  it ;  and  the 
first  day  after  the  day  it  was  opened  a  sheep 
fell  therein.  Evan  lamented  :  "  Big  Man 
bach,  why  for  you  hold  from  me  all  that 
is  profitable  ?  Am  I  not  of  great  regard 
in  Sion  ?  "  He  covered  the  mouth  of  the 
well  with  prickly  shrubs  and  the  shrubs 
also  he  covered  with  loose  earth  and  stones, 
and  it  was  so  that  the  mouth  of  the  well 
was  like  the  ground  about.  Then  he 
drew  two  wire  fences  from  the  edge  of 
the  flagstone — which  is  outside  the  door 
— to  the  farther  brim  of  the  well,  and 
the  width  between  the  fences  was  the 
13 


CAPEL    SION 


width  of  the  well.  Having  done  all  that, 
he  stood  at  the  end  of  the  fence,  and  beck- 
oned his  first  finger  to  Hannah,  and 
cried :  "  Come  you  here  now,  wench 
fach," 


14 


THE  WORD 


15 


0 


II 

THE  WORD 

According  to  the  Word  of  Davydd 
Bern-Davydd,  the  Respected  of  Capel 
Sion,  which  is  in  the  parish  of  Troedfawr, 
in  the  Shire  of  Cardigan  : 

My  text,  congregation  fach,  is  in  Luke, 
the  seventh  chapter  and  the  second  after 
the  tenth  verse  :  "  Now  when  He  came 
nigh  to  the  gate  of  the  city,  behold,  there 
was  a  dead  man  carried  out,  the  only 
son  of  his  mother,  and  she  was  a  widow  : 
and  much  people  of  the  city  was  with 
her."  The  second  after  the  tenth  verse 
in  the  seventh  chapter  of  Luke,  people  : 
"  Now  when  He  came  nigh  to  the  gate  of 
the  city,  behold,  there  was  a  dead  man 
c  17 


CAPEL   SION 


carried  out,  the  only  son  of  his  mother, 
and  she  was  a  widow ;  and  much  people 
of  the  city  was  with  her." 

Search  deeply  into  the  verse  will  I. 
Going  about  preaching  was  the  White 
Jesus  bach.  A  student  He  was  at  this 
time,  collecting  for  His  College,  like  the 
students  that  come  here  from  College 
Carmarthen  and  College  Bala.  Grand  was 
the  sermon  He  had  worded  at  Caper- 
naum. There's  big  the  collection  was. 
Then  He  said :  "  For  sure  me,  go  I 
will  to  Capel  Moriah  in  Nain." 

Was  not  Nain,  people  bach,  a  big 
town  ?  Things  very  pretty  were  in  the 
town.  There  were  Capels  in  every  part, 
and  the  largest  was  Capel  Moriah  Dis- 
senters. Moriah  had  two  lofts,  and  in 
front  of  the  lower  loft  there  was  a  clock 
cuckoo ;  and  nice  the  ornaments  in  the 
ceiling  were  now.  And  there's  a  splen- 
did pulpit,  higher  than  even  the  roof  of 
the  heathen  old  Church.  Boys  bach,  never 
18 


THE   WORD 


have  you  seen  such  a  Book  of  Words. 
The  cover  was  of  leather  ;  not  hard  leather, 
but  soft  like  Mishtress  Bern-Davydd's  Sab- 
bath shoes.  And  he  had  clasps  of  brass, 
and  at  the  beginning  of  him  was  written 
the  names  of  all  the  Rulers  of  Moriah. 

Between  the  Capel  and  the  road,  as 
we  have  in  Sion,  was  the  burial  ground, 
which  from  end  to  end  measured  more 
than  from  Shop  Rhys  to  the  tree  on 
which  Dennis  sinned.  The  place  was  so 
big  that  you  could  not  see  the  other 
side.  Larger  than  ten  hayfields.  And 
as  full  of  graves  as  a  Ianto's  field  is  of 
thistles.  Very  careful  you  had  to  be  not 
to  walk  on  the  graves.  Fuller,  indeed, 
five  over  twenty  times  than  the  burial 
ground  of  Capel  Horeb  in  Morfa. 

Natty  were  the  stones  over  the  graves. 
Come  with  me,  little  men,  and  peep  at 
them  we  will.  Here  is  one  above  a  Ruler 
of  the  Pulpit.  Photographs  of  angels 
at  the  end  of  the  stone.  And  what  a 
19 


CAPEL   SION 


big  angel  bach  on  the  head.  What  is  he 
doing  ?  Sounding  he  is,  indeed  to  good- 
ness, the  Harp  of  Gold.  What  is  the  name 
of  the  hymn  the  angel  bach  is  toning  ? 

Guide  me,  O  Thou  great  Redeemer, 
Pilgrim  through  this  barren  land ; 

I  am  weak,  but  Thou  art  mighty, 
Hold  me  with  Thy  powerful  hand  ; 
Bread  of  Heaven, 

Feed  me  aiow  and  evermore. 

What  is  the  Ruler's  name,  say  you  ? 
A  surprise.  Read  you  on  the  stone  again. 
"  Here  sleeps  Solomon,  who  reigned  over 
Israel  for  twice  twenty  years." 

Dear  me,  here  is  a  nice  stone  and  costly. 
This  is  over  the  perished  body  surely  of  a 
nobleman.  WTio  was  he  ?  Hap  he  had 
a  shop  draper  or  a  walk  milk.  Great  he 
was  in  the  Big  Seat.  "  He  died  in  the 
Big  Man's  arms,"  is  the  writing.  O  per- 
sons, shall  that  much  be  said  of  you  ? 
When  you  hear  the  trumpet  noising  over 
your  grave,  will  you  say  :  "I  am  ready, 
White  Jesus  bach  ?  "  Shall  that  be  said 
20 


THE   WORD 


of  you,  Dai  Lanlas,  after  the  report  that 
Eynon  Daviss  made  about  you  ?  A  dirty 
black  you  was,  man,  to  jeer  at  Capel 
Si  on. 

Come,  let  us  leave  fulbert  Lanlas  and 
read  the  stones  and  heed  the  flowers  glass 
on  the  mounds.  There  is  the  Mishtress 
Simeon  :  "  Be  this  her  Memorial."  Here 
is  the  grave  of  the  religious  little  widow 
who  gave  her  mite.  "  Let  this  be  counted 
unto  her  for  righteousness."  A  grand 
sampler  was  the  widow.  She  gave  her 
mite.  Nanss  Penfordd,  one  yellow  sove- 
reign and  half  a  crown  you  gave  last 
year  to  Sion,  though  you  get  a  large 
pension.  Isaac  Brongest,  man,  increase 
your  sacrifice,  or  complain  to  the  Big 
Preacher  I  must. 

What  is  this  ?  An  open  grave.  What 
are  the  names  on  the  stone  at  the  side  ? 
"  Abram  Shop  Grocer,  Nain."  Was 
Abram  religious  ?  Great  was  the 
wealth  he  left  his  widow  Esther.  Ask 
21 


CAPEL   SION 


askings  we  shall  of  the  old  gravedigger. 
There  he  is — a  tallish  man  and  hairless 
and  his  trousers  are  loosened  because 
of  the  heat  of  the  sun.  Occupation  very 
good  is  making  graves.  Digging  the 
houses  which  shelter  us  between  here 
and  the  Palace.  Very  happy  are  affairs 
in  the  grave,  people. 

"  Fair  day,  little  man,  how  you  was 
then  ?  " 

"  Good  am  I,  strangers ;  and  fair  day 
to  you.  Where  shall  I  say  you  hail 
from  ?  " 

"  Boys  bach  from  Capel  Sion,"  we  say. 
"  Proud  is  the  graveyard." 

The  gravedigger  rests  his  chin  on  the 
end  of  the  rod  of  his  pickaxe  and  wipes 
the  tobacco  spittle  from  his  chin.  "  Iss, 
man,  when  this  coffin  is  covered,  there 
will  be  no  more  room.  Has  not  the 
Capel  taken  the  spacious  field  of  Eben 
son  of  Joseph  ?  Elegant  will  be  the 
to-do  at  the  first  opening." 
22 


THE   WORD 


"  The  hole  is  not  very  large,"  we  say. 
"  Be  he  for  a  maid  now  ?  " 

"  No — no,  male.  Though  he  is  narrow, 
he  is  not  for  a  maid." 

"  As  you  speak.  Mouth  who  is  per- 
ished." ' 

"  A  young  youth,"  the  old  gravedigger 
says.  "  The  son  of  Esther  the  widow  of 
Abram  Shop  Grocer." 

4t  Don't  say.  When  is  the  funeral,  male 
bach  ?  " 

"  This  day,  boys  Capel  Sion.  An  hour 
after  the  dinner." 

The  gravedigger  takes  out  his  old  watch. 
"  One  o'clock.  Saint  Shames  will  be  pray- 
ing in  the  house  now.  Tearful  are 
Shames's  prayers.  And  Luke  will  speak 
also." 

"  Who  is  Shames  and  Luke  ?  " 

Astonished  is  the  gravedigger.  "  Dul- 
lish you  are.  Is  not  Shames  the  Ruler 
of  Capel  Moriah  in  Jerusalem  ?  And  Luke 
bach  the  Ruler  of  Capel  Antioch  ?  Tune- 
23 


CAPEL   SION 


ful  and  short  and  sweet  preacher  is  Luke 
bach  the  Singer.  Do  you  tarry  here  to 
listen  to  his  sermon  over  the  coffin  in  the 
Capel.     Treat  you  will  have." 

He  goes  down  into  the  hole  and  makes 
the  walls  straight.  Listen,  blockheads. 
Is  he  not  singing  one  of  Hawen's  hymns  ? 
Hymner  very  religious  is  Hawen.  Now 
he  comes  up  and  examines  his  watch. 
"  Late  is  the  funeral,"  he  says.  He  stands 
on  the  hedge,  but  he  sees  no  men  and 
women  walking  and  letting  tears  in  their 
Sabbath  clothes.  He  cries  to  Daniel  bach 
Lions  who  is  the  Keeper  of  the  House  of 
the  Capel :  "  Slow  is  the  carcase  in  coming, 
Daniel,  now."  Daniel  answers:  "Iss, 
indeed,  sent  Abed  have  I  to  seek  reasons." 

The  afternoon  grows  and  no  funeral. 
The  day  dims.  We  will  stay  on,  com- 
panions, for  are  we  not  to  hear  Luke  bach 
the  Singer  saying  a  sermon  ?  Iss,  then, 
we  will  stop. 

So  we  tarry,  and  ask  more  questions 
24 


THE    WORD 


of  the  gravedigger.  "  Was  this  a  pro- 
mising young  youth — the  son  of  Esther 
the  Widow  of  Abram  Shop  Grocer  ?  " 

"  Indeed,  iss.  Home  he  was  from  Col- 
lege Jerusalem.  Did  he  not  drive  out 
the  Bad  Man  from  the  body  of  a  servant 
woman  who  had  spoken  ill  of  a  teacher 
in  the  College  ?  Learned  he  was  in  the 
School  of  Sunday.  What  is  the  matter 
for  the  funeral  not  to  come  ?  Dear  me, 
don't  say  that  Esther  the  Widow  of  Abram 
has  perished  and  will  be  put  in  the  grave 
with  her  son !  Maybe  Shames  has  the 
spirit  on  him.  Shames  prays  sometimes 
for  a  week  without  a  stop." 

Go  we  will  to  meet  the  funeral.  But 
here  is  Abed  bach  coming  on  the  Tramp- 
ing road.  His  belly  shivers  like  the 
belly  of  Rhys  Shop  when  he  was  found 
sinning  with  Anna  in  the  storehouse,  and 
his  thick  lips  are  gaped  like  the  lips 
of  the  Schoolin  when  he  desires  Ellen 
Felin. 

25 


CAPEL   SION 


"  Boys,  boys,"  he  cries.  "  Are  you 
waiting  to  see  the  funeral  ?  " 

"  Iss — iss,  man,"  we  answer. 

"  Then  there  is  no  funeral  to  be,"  he 
says.     "  The  son  of  Esther  is  not  dead." 

"  Well— well  ?  "  we  ask. 

"  He  is  risen." 

"  Don't  murmur  idly,"  says  the  grave- 
digger. 

"  Truth  sure  this  is,"  replies  Abed. 
"  Esau  and  Jacob  and  Matthew  and  Job 
were  carrying  the  coffin  from  the  house 
into  the  hearse  when  the  Big  Jesus 
passed.  He  said  to  Esther  :  '  Why  for 
you  weep  ?  '  And  Esther  told  Him  how 
Abram  was  in  the  Palace  of  White  Shirts 
and  now  that  her  son  was  gone  also  there 
was  none  to  care  after  the  Shop  Grocer. 
The  White  Jesus  bach  called  up  to  him 
Samuel  Carpenter  and  commanded  him 
to  unscrew  the  coffin.  The  young  youth 
was  alive." 

"  Goodness  all,"  says  the  old  boy  of  a 
26 


THE   WORD 


gravedigger.  "  Will  He  stay  long  in  the 
land  ?  " 

O  males  Capel  Sion,  much  was  the 
noise  in  Nain  that  day.  Samuel  took 
away  the  coffin  and  the  screws.  Shames 
did  not  pray.  Luke  bach  the  short  and 
sweet  Singer  put  his  funeral  sermon  in  the 
backhead   pocket  of   his   preacher's   coat. 

While  the  young  youth  was  preparing 
to  go  into  the  Shop,  Esther  his  mother 
said  to  him  :  "  Boy  bach,  do  you  remem- 
ber perishing  ?  " 

He  answered  :    "  No." 

"  Do  you  remember  Sam  Carpenter 
measuring  you  for  a  coffin  ?  " 

"  No." 

"  Do  you  remember  the  White  Shirt  ?  " 

"  No." 

fct  Did  you  hear  Jesus  speaking  to 
you  ?  " 

"  Iss,  iss.     I  heard  Him  in    Eternity." 

Glad   was   Esther   the   widow   woman. 

Don't  you  hasten  away,  people,"  she 
27 


CAPEL   SION 


said.     "  Stay   you,   and   I  will  brew  tea 
and  make  pancakes." 

And  do  you  know,  O  creatures,  no  night 
followed  that  day  in  Nain.  Men  and 
women  went  about  and  abroad,  saying 
one  to  another  of  this  miracle  which  had 
taken  place  in  the  house  of  Esther  Shop 
Grocer.  For  the  Big  Man  had  raised  His 
voice  to  the  Chief  Angel :  "  Put  another 
wick  in  the  sun." 


28 


THE  TREE   OF  KNOWLEDGE 


29 


Ill 

THE  TREE  OF  KNOWLEDGE 

Watkin  Pensarn  died,  and  his  children 
were  :  Ben,  Dennis,  Mari.  Ben  inherited 
Pensarn  and  also  the  Field  of  the  Tree — 
which  is  on  the  edge  of  the  moor— and 
the  mud-walled  cottage  therein.  Mari  did 
not  receive  anything,  because  of  her  whor- 
ish  ways  :  she  had  had  seven  children  by 
seven  men.  But  Ben  showed  kindness 
unto  her :  he  made  her  a  servant  on  his 
land  and  he  let  her  abide  in  the  cottage  which 
is  in  the  Field  of  the  Tree. 

Dennis  dwelt  in  Glasgoed,  which  is  in 

the  valley.      He  did  not  inherit  anything. 

In   the    safety  of  his  thirty-eight  acres  of 

land,  a  living  house  and  outhouses,  and  one 

31 


CAPEL   SION 


hundred  and  ten  sovereigns,  he  offended 
against  Sion.  So  the  Big  Man  was  an- 
gered and  caused  him  to  be  persecuted 
and  to  commit  the  sin  whose  awfulness 
is  above  all  other  sins.  The  period  of 
his  infliction  began  when  he  rented  the 
Field  of  the  Tree  from  Ben  and  repaired 
the  hedge  around  it  and  strewed  manure 
on  the  floor  of  it,  saying  :  "A  hayfield 
will  I  make  of  the  place  bach."  Before 
long  he  beheld  that  a  narrow  path  was 
trodden  down  between  the  gate  and  Mari's 
house.  His  mind  became  stormy,  and 
he  shouted  :  "  Mari,  now,  indeed,  where 
you  was  ?     Why  for  you  mess  my  hay  ?  " 

Mari  moved  to  him. 

"  Blasted  you  are,  bad  wench,  in  my 
small  eyes,"  Dennis  cried.  "  Full  of  frogs 
is  your  carrion." 

"  This  one  moment,  Dennis  bach,  windy 
you  are,"  Mari  replied.  "  Say  you  why 
to  me." 

"  What  you  walk  upon  my  grass  ? 
32 


THE   TREE   OF   KNOWLEDGE 

See  you  that  you  spoil  my  hay  !  A  nasty 
lizard,  dear  me,  you  was." 

"  Vexed  is  your  head,"  Mari  answered. 
"  Do  you,  Dennis  Glasgoed,  show  me  how 
to  reach  the  road." 

Having  abused  his  sister  with  these 
words  :  "  Speech  like  an  old  crow  you 
do,"  Dennis  lifted  the  gate  and  the  gate 
posts  from  the  gap  which  was  in  the 
hedge  and  thereon  he  raised  a  wall  of 
earth  and  stones,  and  into  this  new 
wall  he  cunningly  contrived  broken  glass. 
Mari  climbed  over  the  hedge  at  another 
place  and  soon  she  made  a  deep  opening 
in  it.  One  night  a  cow  came  into  the 
field  and  feasted.  Dennis  wept  when 
he  viewed  the  havoc  the  animal  had  made 
and  spoke  harshly  to  Mari ;  and  as  he 
spoke  his  rage  was  increased  that  there 
was  another  path  between  the  house  and 
the  spring  which  yields  fresh  water. 

"  Sober  serious,"  said  Mari,  "  what  does 
the  man  bach  want  ?  Weary  am  I  of  life. 
D  33 


CAPEL   SION 


Do  I  not  wish  I  was  a  hundred  years  ago  ?  " 

"  Walk  you  away  from  here,"  Dennis  an- 
swered.   "  Destroyer  very  terrible  you  are." 

Dennis  measured  the  length  and  breadth 
of  the  pathways  and  he  thought  out  the 
bulk  of  hay  he  had  lost,  and  the  bulk 
was  as  much  as  two  persons  can  pitch 
twice  from  field  into  cart.  That  know- 
ledge pained  him,  and  he  went  up  to  Ben  : 
u  Jasto,  now,  cheated  me  you  have  over 
the  old  field." 

"  Boy  bach  Glasgoed,"  said  Ben. 
"  Mouth  you  like  that,  for  sure.  Open 
wider  the  back  of  your  head." 

"  The  house  in  the  field  you  give  to 
Mari.     There's  a  serpent  is  the  shipsy." 

"  Is  not  the  Big  Man's  curse  on  Mari, 
Dennis  ?  Does  He  not  torment  her  breast 
with  an  ulcer  ?  " 

"  No  care  have  I  for  that,"  cried  Dennis. 
M  Messed  my  hay  bach  she  haSi  Nice 
grass  there  was  in  the  paths." 

"  Well,  you  don't  mean." 
34 


THE   TREE   OF   KNOWLEDGE 

"  Look  you,  iss — iss.  But  loutish  you 
are.     Shake  yourself  in  my  favour." 

"  Come  you  into  the  parlour  bach,*'  said 
Ben,  "  and  I  will  hold  forth."  Therein 
Ben  spat  upon  the  floor  and  knelt.  This  is 
what  he  told  God  :  "A  black  of  a  donkey 
was  Cain.  Brothers  we  all  are,  little  Big 
Man.  Dennis  Glasgoed  is  here.  Solemn 
is  the  thing  that  has  happened  to  his  hay. 
Be  with  your  son  in  Sion.  Amen."  Be- 
fore he  arose  he  opened  his  eyes  and  he 
placed  a  finger  and  a  thumb  above  his 
hairy  nostrils  and  blew  the  residue  there- 
from upon  the  floor.  Presently  he  charged 
the  cast  of  his  face  with  grief ;  and  he  spoke  : 
"  Certain,  Dennis  Glasgoed.  Cheapish  is 
the  little  field." 

Dennis  understood  :  "A  cunning  her- 
ring you  are." 

"  Speak  you  do  like  that.     Well— well." 

"  Well— well  ?  " 

"  Pay  you  me  one  sovereign  and  a  half 
a  sovereign  every  year  and  Mari's  house 
you  shall  have,"  said  Ben. 
35 


CAPEL    SION 


"  Big   Father,   no — no  !     Poor   am   I." 

"  Losing  very  great  am  I  to  give  you 
the  house.     But  are  you  not  my  brother  ?  " 

"  Half  a  yellow  sovereign,  Ben  bach 
nice.  Not  worth  killing  is  the  hay.  Cart 
a  load  of  coals  I  will,  too." 

v  No,  man.     Farewell,  now." 

Dennis  rented  Mari's  house  for  fifteen 
shillings  and  a  load  of  fairly  turned  dung, 
wherefore  he  devised  a  lying  scheme  ;  he 
said  to  Mari :  "  Stir  off.  Savage  is  the 
bull  that  I  put  in  your  house." 

"  Stir  will  I,"  replied  Mari,  "  the  minute 
I  hear  the  noise  of  his  coming." 

When  Dennis  was  returned  to  Glasgoed 
his  wife  Madlen  was  perturbed  and  in 
much  fear.  "  Horrible  is  this.  Guiltless 
am  I.'/ 

"  What  is  the  matter  with  the  strollop  ? 
Be  you  hasty,"  said  Dennis. 

"  Perished  is  the  ass  fach." 

Dennis    did     not     chasten     his    wife. 
H  Where  is  the  carcase  ?  " 
36 


THE   TREE   OF   KNOWLEDGE 

"  Sure  me,"  Madlen  answered,  "  boiling 
is  the  head  for  the  pigs." 

"  Fool  of  a  squirrel !  Do  you  that,  for 
why  ?     Talk  where  the  ass  is." 

"  In  the  milk  house  is  the  body  bach, 
covered  with  my  petticoat." 

Dennis  put  the  ass  in  a  sack  which  had 
held  white  flour  and  which  was  whitened 
therewith,  and  the  next  night  he  took  the  ass 
and  also  a  pickaxe  and  a  shovel  to  the  Field 
of  the  Tree.  He  dug  a  hole  in  the  ground 
and  when  he  reached  the  water  which 
flows  into  the  spring,  he  hung  the  sack 
on  the  Tree  and  put  the  ass  in  the  hole. 
As  he  was  coming  away,  he  said  to  him- 
self :  "  Turks  are  persons,  and  robbers. 
Ben  will  take  from  me  all  that  I  have. 
Mari  pilfers  two  pitches  of  my  hay." 

He  walked  down  straightway  into  the 
Tramping  road,  and  on  all  sides  and 
around  him  he  heard  noises  j  he  lifted 
his  eyes  and  saw  birds  passing  between 
him  and  the  moon.  He  crawled  over 
37 


CAPEL   SION 


the  last  hedge  into  the  road,  and  his 
gaze  fell  upon  a  shadow  moving  on 
the  face  of  it.  He  was  terrified,  and  he 
cried  :  "  Jesus  nice,  boy  bach  going  to 
Capel  is  here.  Grand  is  your  son  in  Sion. 
Amen."  Dennis  hasted  onward  and  he 
remembered  that  he  had  left  his  sack  on  the 
Tree,  and  when  he  came  back  with  the  sack, 
the  shadow  was  no  longer  on  the  road. 
Then  he  weighed  that  which  he  had  seen 
and  heard,  and  he  imagined  that  the 
flying  creatures  were  his  enemies  in  the 
dress  of  birds,  that  the  shadow  was  the 
Ruler  of  Sion ;  that  the  birds  and  the 
Ruler  were  scheming  to  take  from  him  all 
that  he  had.  In  the  darkness  of  Glasgoed  he 
lit  a  tallow  candle  and  counted  his  sovereigns 
and  separated  them  evenly  into  four  lots. 
He  discovered  Madlen's  legs  and  removed 
therefrom  the  woman's  stockings,  and  he  also 
drew  off  his  own  stockings,  and  in  each 
stocking  he  placed  his  money  as  he  had 
divided  it.  Before  he  set  out  to  bury  his 
38 


THE   TREE    OF    KNOWLEDGE 

gold  in  four  different  parts,  he  cut  his 
beard  close  to  his  skin,  so  that  none  of  his 
enemies  should  know  him.  At  dawn  he 
brought  forth  his  money  and  hid  it  in 
fresh  quarters  ;  and  throughout  that  day 
he  numbered  and  renumbered  his  cattle 
and  his  pigs  and  his  hens,  and  he  thought 
out  the  value  of  his  crops.  That  night  he 
would  not  go  up  to  his  bed.  He  cried 
to  Madlen  :    "  Where  you  was  ?  " 

"  Hearing  you  am  I,  Dennis  bach  the 
husband,"  Madlen  said.  tt  Rest  you,  in- 
deed." 

"  Listen  to  my  tongue." 

"  Speak,  then,  boy  bach." 

"  Have  the  nice  pigs  eaten  their  fill  ?  " 

"  Iss— iss." 

"  Hungry  are  their  sad  grunts.  Take 
food  to  them,  you  concubine." 

Madlen  put  barley  meal  into  a  bucket- 
full  of  skimmed  milk  and  gave  the  pigs 
to  eat. 

"  Wasteful  you  are,  old  female,"  said 
39 


CAPEL   SION 


Dennis.  "  Bulging  with  potatoes  is  your 
stomach." 

"  Only  three,  man  bach,  and  a  little 
buttermilk.     Empty  was  my  belly." 

"  Not  a  yellow  sovereign  shall  I  have," 
Dennis  moaned.  "  A  wanton  bitch  you 
are." 

"  Dennis  bach,  don't  say  !  " 

"  Speak  I  so,  iss-iss.  Thin  are  the 
creatures,  and  you  eat  rare  potatoes 
and  buttermilk." 

Dennis  opened  the  door  of  the  lower 
end  of  his  house  and  disturbed  his  hens 
which  were  roosting  on  the  rafters.  'i  Is 
not  the  cheatful  Rachel  Hens  coming 
to-morrow  ?  " 

"  Don't  you  let  your  small  guts  worry 
you,"  said  Madlen.  "  Fat  enough  are  the 
hens." 

"  Clap  your  mouth.  Thin  are  the  hens. 
Starving.  Are  not  their  bones  like  the 
blade  of  a  scythe  ?  " 

Madlen  stepped  up  to  her  bed.  Dennis 
40 


THE   TREE   OF   KNOWLEDGE 

stayed  at  the  door,  and  peered  through 
the  latch-hole.  He  wailed  in  this  fashion  : 
"  Two  pitches  of  hay  do  I  lose  because 
of  the  dirty  Mari." 

"  Stiff  is  the  head  of  the  madam," 
Madlen  said.  "  Herd  her  away  with  a  rod. 
Put  a  pitchfork  into  her  eyes." 

"Hist!"  Dennis  cried.  "They  are 
after  my  yellow  sovereigns  !  "  He  stood 
on  the  threshold  and  spoke  :  "  Well,  boys 
bach,  what  for  you  are  here  ?  Red  money 
have  I.  No  white  silver.  Religious  boys 
bach  you  are.  Iss-iss.  Fair  night,  per- 
sons Capel  Sion.  Take  you  Madlen  if  her 
you  desire.  Do  with  her  in  the  cowhouse. 
Madlen,  go  now  with  the  boys.  No  yellow 
sovereigns,  indeed  to  goodness,  have  I. 
Did  not  my  ass  perish  ?  .  .  .  Madlen,  a 
bitch  you  are.  Tell  them  you  did  of  the 
holes  of  my  gold." 

"  Safe  is  your  large  gold,  Dennis  bach," 
Madlen  replied. 

"  Told  the  boys  you  did.  Robbed  me 
you  have." 

41 


CAPEL    SION 


"  Where  have  I  robbed  you  ?  " 

"  Iss-iss.  Spout  the  places  of  my  yel- 
low money  ?     In  the  potato  field  ?  " 

"  No,  Dennis,  now " 

"  In  the  rick  ?  Bad  if  my  rick  fires 
this  night." 

"  Look  you,  sleep." 

"  Where  have  you  hidden  my  gold  ? 
Half  one  hundred  sovereigns  you  have 
pilfered  from  me.  All  my  sovereigns  bach 
are  gone.  And  their  number  was  above 
the  number  of  stones  in  the  burial  ground." 

Madlen  shuddered:  "Wait  small  minutes." 

Dennis  seized  Madlen's  body  and  he 
held  it  as  one  holds  a  battering  ram 
and  he  beat  the  head  against  the  wall, 
saying :  "  Yellow  sovereigns  you  have 
thieved.  And  red  pennies.  And  white 
silver.  My  creatures'  food  is  in  your 
belly.  An  old  thief  you  are.  Two  pitches 
of  hay  Mari  spoiled.  Two  big  pitches  of 
my  hay  bach.  Sorrowful  is  this.  All 
are  in  array  against  me." 
42 


THE   TREE   OF   KNOWLEDGE 

He  took  a  sheet  from  the  bed  and  walked 
to  the  Field  of  the  Tree,  and  he  threw  dry 
earth  at  Mari's  window. 

Mari  answered  :  "  Boy  bach  come  to 
court  ?  " 

Dennis  moved  to  a  place  where  Mari 
could  not  see  him,  for  the  moon  was  full, 
and  he  falsified  his  voice :  "  Iss,  now. 
Then,  wench  nice,  come  to  the    door." 

Mari  arrived  at  the  door  and  this  is 
what  she  saw  :  a  figure  covered  in  a  white 
sheet.  She  howled  loudly  and  her  mind 
became  disordered. 

In  the  evening  of  the  day  the  young 
men  and  the  young  women  coming  home 
from  the  Seiet  saw  a  shadow  on  the  face 
of  the  Tramping  road,  and  howsoever  hard 
they  searched  no  one  could  find  a  cause  for 
it.  They  were  disquieted.  One  cried  at 
the  top  of  his  voice  :  "A  sign  from  the 
White  Jesus  bach  !  "  and  he  sent  three 
others  to  gather  the  most  religious  men 
in  Sion  to  witness  this  thing.  The 
43 


CAPEL    SION 


religious  men  came  and  took  counsel  of 
one  another,  and  the  Respected  Bern- 
Da  vydd  said  :  "  Blockheads  you  are,  for 
sure.  Find  out  we  will  what  makes  the 
old  shadow." 

So  the  people  walked  hither  and  thither 
and  in  the  fulness  of  time  they  came  to 
the  Field  of  the  Tree,  and  from  the  tree 
hanged  the  body  of  Dennis  Glasgoed. 
It  was  covered  in  a  sheet  and  the  wind 
swayed  from  side  to  side. 

"  Dennis,  indeed,  what  for  you  do 
this  ?  "  said  Ben  Pensarn.  "  The  Fiery 
Pool  is  the  cost  of  your  sin." 

Davydd  Bern-Davydd  spoke  :  "  Like 
hogs  do  the  wicked  perish.  Don't  you 
touch  the  crow,  Ben  Pensarn.  Your  flesh 
is  too  saintly." 

Dennis  hanged  on  the  tree  till  the  even- 
ing of  the  next  day ;  as  soon  as  the  sun 
was  down  Ben  called  up  to  him  two  men, 
and  he  gave  them  a  saw  which  had  two 
handles,  and  he  commanded  them  :  "Go 
44 


THE   TREE   OF   KNOWLEDGE 

you  up  and  kill  branch  of  the  tree  from 
which  my  sinful  brother  Dennis  is  hanging. 
Take  you  the  rope  fach  from  his  neck  and 
bring  him  whole  to  me.  And  carry  a  lantern 
with  you,  because  tight  is  the  knot  that 
chokes  a  man.  Be  you  careful  you  do  not 
walk  overmuch  on  the  hay." 

The  men  felled  the  tree  and  took  away 
the  rope  from  Dennis's  neck,  and  they 
carried  the  body  on  a  wheelbarrow  to 
Glasgoed  and  rested  it  on  the  floor  by  the 
body  of  Madlen. 

At  the  return  of  day  Ben  Pensarn  har- 
nessed a  horse  into  a  cart,  in  the  head  of 
which  he  put  Dennis's  hens  and  in  the  back 
of  which  he  put  Dennis's  pigs,  and  he  drove 
to  Castellybryn  and  sold  the  hens  and  the 
pigs.  Thereafter  he  took  possession  of 
all  that  was  Dennis's— except  the  gold 
which  remains  hidden — saying  :  "  My  bro- 
ther's keeper  am  I." 


45 


THREE  MEN  FROM  HOREB 


47 


IV 

THREE  MEN  FROM  HOREB 

While  Enoch  the  Teller  of  Things  was 
shearing  the  ends  of  his  beard  for  the 
Sabbath,  word  came  to  him  that  his  son 
Ella,  who  dwelt  in  Morfa,  was  dead.  On 
the  morrow  he  bowed  his  head  in  Sion 
until  the  time  came  for  him  to  say  the 
orderings  of  the  service,  and  when  he 
had  said  all  that  was  to  be  said, 
he  expressed  his  grief :  "  Flown  over 
Jordan  in  a  White  Shirt  is  Ella  bach. 
Bad  was  his  illness.  Nasty  is  old  decline. 
Come  you  all  to  his  large  funeral  at  Capel 

Horeb " 

The  Respected  Bern-Davydd  put    out 
his  right  arm.      "  Indeed   now,   Enoch," 
E        -  49 


CAPEL   SION 


he  said,  "  wait  a  bit,  man.  Why  for  you 
say  Horeb  ?  In  Capel  Sion  must  Ella  be 
buried.     Horeb,  ach  y  fi." 

"  Iss ;  gate-post  is  your  head,  Enoch," 
cried  Amos  Penparc.  "  Have  you  no 
pride  in  the  Glory  of  Sion  ?  More  graves 
there  are  in  Sion  than  turnips  in  two 
rows." 

"  Go  you,  then,"  commanded  Bern- 
Davydd,  "  and  bring  the  perished  corpse 
to  Sion.  Bring  him  before  he  stinks. 
In  this  way  says  the  Big  Man,  little  ani- 
mals :  '  Give  to  the  Capel  what  belongs 
to  the  Capel,  and  there  shall  be  laughing 
in  the  Palace,  Bern  bach.'  " 

Old  Enoch  borrowed  a  hay  wagon,  the 
inside  of  which  he  furnished  with  two 
patchwork  quilts  and  a  pillow,  and  the 
outside  of  which  with  black  cloths  and 
strips  of  black  crepe.  To  Mati,  Ella's 
wife,  he  said  :  "  You  hog,  give  you  me 
the  corpse  of  my  son  bach." 

Mati  answered  him :  "  Lived  have  I 
50 


THREE   MEN   FROM   HOREB 


here  all  my  days.  My  children  were 
born  here  and  they  converse  with  the  Big 
Man  in  Horeb.  In  Horeb  Ella  shall  be 
put  into  the  pit." 

Enoch  did  not  heed  the  words  of  Mati 
his  daughter-in-law :  he  went  into  the 
parlour  and  took  the  body  of  Ella  and 
put  it  in  his  wagon  and  he  covered  it 
with  a  patchwork  quilt ;  and  on  the  flat 
road,  which  brings  you  back  to  Sion,  he 
sat  on  the  shaft,  his  short  bandy  legs 
dangling  loosely.  He  wept  in  the  face  of 
passers-by  until  his  eyes  were  sore :  "  Man 
that  is  perished  is  in  the  cart,  people  bach. 
He  is  my  son  Ella.  Wet  will  be  the  tears  at 
his  funeral.  There's  a  prayer  he  was  !  And 
a  big  friend  of  the  Little  Jesus  bach." 
He  also  sang :  "In  the  big  floods  and 
swells  there  is  none  to  hold  my  head,  but 
my  beloved  husband  Jesus,  who  died  upon 
the  Wood." 

He  brightened  the  boots  which  were 
on  Ella's  feet  and  he  shaved  Ella's  face ; 
51 


CAPEL    SION 


and  he  laid  the  body  on  a  table  and  put 
an  open  Bible  on  its  belly ;  and  at  the 
side  of  it  he  placed  an  empty  coffin,  the 
lid  of  which  was  ornamented  with  gold 
handles  and  the  plate  of  which  was  en- 
graved with  Ella's  name  and  age — which 
was  forty-seven  years — and  a  good  account. 

On  the  Wailing  Night  old  Enoch  stayed 
by  his  son,  howbeit  one  asked  him 
to  sup  of  buttermilk  or  tea  or  to  eat  of 
white  bread  and  butter  or  bread  and 
cheese.  As  the  praying  men  and  singing 
men  and  women  were  mourning  Ella  in 
prayers  and  hymns,  Shon  Daviss — a  high 
man  in  Capel  Horeb — opened  the  door 
and  on  the  threshold  he  cried  solemnly  : 
"  Here's  horror.  Big  Man  is  looking  down 
and  weeping.  Male  of  Horeb  was  Ella. 
Awful  is  the  cost  you  will  have  to  pay  for 
this   sin." 

14  Speech  you  do  like  a  billhook,"  said 
B  em-Davy  dd. 

"  No,  man,"  replied  Shon  Daviss ; 
52 


THREE   MEN   FROM   HOREB 


"  serious  for  sure.  Come  have  I  to  talk 
that  the  boy  bach  be  buried  in  Horeb." 

The  words  angered  the  congregation. 
They  said  :  "  Scarce  are  the  graves  in 
the  new  burying  land.  Respected  Bern- 
Davydd,  speak  spiteful  phrases  to  the  old 
cat  fach." 

Bern-Davydd  turned  his  face  upon  Shon 
Daviss,  rebuking  him  :  "  Boy  of  the  Bad 
Man,  be  you  in  a  hurry  to  go  in  a  haste. 
Jasto  now,  give  him  a  kick  somebody  in 
the  backhead." 

"  Robber  of  Sion,  away,  indeed  "  some 
of  the  congregation  shouted.  "  Or  much 
damage  we  shall  do  to  you." 

The  man  from  Horeb  ran  away  from 
the  house  ;  and  the  next  day  Old  Enoch 
prepared  Ella  for  burial :  he  stripped  him 
of  his  clothes  and  put  on  him  a  White  Shirt 
of  the  Dead.  The  material  of  the  gar- 
ment was  flannel  made  by  Ellen  Weaver's 
Widow,  and  it  was  marred  by  neither 
spot  nor  blemish.  The  flannel  at  the 
53 


CAPEL   SION 


wrists  of  the  garment  had  been  decorated 
by  an  embroiderer,  and  the  hem  of  the 
skirt  had  upon  it  fluffed  sheep's  wool. 
Having  ended,  old  Enoch  lifted  his  hairy 
cheek  to  God,  and  opened  his  lips  :  "  Big 
Man  bach,  religious  am  I.  Shall  I  button 
the  White  Shirt  ?  "  He  waited  and  God 
spoke  to  him  privately.  "  All  right,  as 
you  speak,  Big  Man ;  quickly  Ella  will 
become  naked  when  he  hears  the  trumpet. 
Quicker  than  any  one  in  Sion." 

A  sinful  thing  happened  :  while  Ella's 
coffin  rested  on  ropes  at  the  edge  of  the 
grave  three  men  from  Horeb  arrived  with- 
out the  gates  of  Sion,  and  the  leading  man, 
who  was  Shon  Daviss  Shop  Boots, 
shouted  :  "  Ho-ho,  sinners  Capel  Sion, 
Ella  must  sleep  in  Horeb.  Come  we  have 
for  the  perished  corpse." 

In  their  confusion  the  people— men  and 

women    and    small    children — who    were 

come   to    weep    and    mourn,     fell   apart 

into   a   lane,    wherewith   the   three   men 

54 


THREE    MEN    FROM    HOREB 


passed  thereupon  to  the  place  where   the 
coffin  was. 

Bern  -  Davydd's  rage  kindled.  He 
screamed  :  "  The  son  of  Enoch  shall  come 
up  from  Sion  !  Foxes  of  strumpets  you 
are,  boys  Horeb." 

"  Ho-ho  !  "  cried  Shon  Daviss.  "  Ask- 
ings we  have  put  to  our  Respected,  and 
great  is  his  understanding.  Divide  you, 
people,  and  the  coffin  bach  we  will  take 
with  us." 

"  Hares  of  Horeb,"  said  Bern-Da  vydd, 
"  take  off  your  hands.  Stoutish  shall  the 
Glory  of  Sion  grow." 

"  Stealing  from  Horeb  you  are  a  perished 
corpse,"  answered  Shon  Daviss.  "  We 
shall  take  him  away.  Come,  boys  bach, 
let  us  put  him  in  the  cart.  Religious  was 
Ella  ;    shall  he  be  buried  among  calves  ?  " 

"  Away,  turks  of  mackerel,"  Old  Enoch 
cried.  "  Borrowed  a  gambo  I  did  to  bring 
Ella  to  Capel  Sion." 

The  three  men  from  Horeb  lifted  the 
55 


CAPEL   SION 


coffin  ;  and  as  they  were  doing  so,  Enoch 
struck  Shon  Daviss  with  the  gravedigger's 
pickaxe.  The  coffin  dropped  upon  the 
ground  and  the  lid  of  it  came  asunder. 
Shon's  temper  heightened.  "  Fiery  Pool ! " 
he  cursed.  "  Knock  you  will  I  this  one 
small  minute." 

Old  Enoch  shivered  because  of  the 
blow  delivered  upon  his  forehead  by  Shon 
Daviss  ;   and  he  fell  into  the  grave. 

There  was  much  disorder,  during 
which  the  three  men  from  Horeb  raised 
the  body  of  Ella  out  of  its  coffin  and  ran 
away  with  it  and  put  it  on  the  straw  that 
was  on  the  floor  of  the  cart ;  and  one 
of  them  said  to  the  mare  between  the 
shafts  :     "  Gee-gee,  go  on." 

The  people  of  Sion,  awakened  to  the 
value  of  this  that  was  done  against  their 
burial  ground,  chased  the  men  from  Horeb, 
and  as  they  could  not  overtake  them, 
they  climbed  over  hedges  and  went 
across  the  fields.  In  that  manner  the  men 
56 


THREE   MEN   FROM   HOREB 


of  Sion  came  upon  the  men  of  Horeb  and 
stopped  them  ;  and  the  battle  went  hard 
against  Horeb. 

The  body  of  Ella  was  brought  back  to 
Sion  in  the  dim  light,  and  the  gravedigger, 
after  Bern-Davydd  had  prayed  that  the  Big 
Man  would  regard  mercifully  the  blemishes 
on  Ella's  White  Shirt,  put  a  ladder  down 
into  the  grave,  saying  :  "  Come  you  up, 
now,  Enoch  bach." 


57 


THE  PILLARS  OF  SION 


59 


THE  PILLARS  OF  SION 

Silah  Penlon  was  a  doltish  virgin. 
People  who  were  bound  to  Capel  Sion 
said  to  her  mother  : 

"  Large  is  the  Big  Man's  curse  upon 
you,  Becws  Penlon." 

"  What  for  you  speak  wild,  people  bach?  " 
answered  Becws.  "  Wench  fach  very 
tidy  is  the  wench  fach." 

The  people  rated  her  in  a  high  voice. 
They  said  :  "  Not  pious  is  your  brawl. 
There's  vile  is  the  backhead  of  your 
mouth  for  you  to  talk  like  that." 

"  Can  I  say,  '  Be  you  familiar  indeed, 
then,  Silah  fach  '  ?  "    Becws  returned: 

"  What    is    the    matter    with    the    old 
61 


CAPEL   SION 


woman  ?  Tell  me  you  !  "  cried  the  people. 
"  Full  of  sin  was  your  old  belly  when 
you  bore  the  wench.  Explain,  dear  me, 
to  us,  Becws  fach,  the  name  of  your  sin 
and  say  longish  prayers  for  you  we  wilL* 

Becws's  spirit  lowered  :  she  was  appre- 
hensive that  she  would  trespass  unwit- 
tingly, and  that  the  men  who  sat  in  the 
Big  Seat  in  Capel  Sion  would  inform 
against  her  to  God.  So  she  fashioned 
this  prayer,  which  she  spoke  from  time 
to  time : 

"  Big  Man  bach,  an  old  disorder  you  put 
on  Silah.  Do  you  lift  him  now  from  her. 
Wench  fach  very  tidy  is  the  wench  fach 
also.  Is  she  not  a  bulky  age  ?  Was 
she  not  born  when  the  Respected  Davydd 
Bern-Davydd  came  to  Sion,  thirty  and 
five  years  ago  ?  Stay  with  your  son 
nice  in  the  Capel  and  with  all  the  boys 
bach  of  the  Big  Seat.     Amen." 

God  withheld  His  ear  from  Becws,  and 
He  fixed  a  further  affliction  to  her  daugh- 
62 


THE   PILLARS   OF   SION 


ter  :  He  made  Silah's  mind  stubborn  and 
the  virgin  behaved  as  one  who  is  dumb  ; 
and  she  would  not  entreat  the  Man  of 
Terror  to  abate  His  anger  against  her. 
Becws  was  in  fear  and  dread,  and  she 
bared  her  arm  and  stripped  Silah  and 
beat  her ;  and  the  dirty  spirits  were 
strong  within  Silah,  and  though  she  wept 
she  did  not  make  any  sound.  Becws 
thought  out  another  prayer,  for  her  heart 
yearned  for  Silah  :  "  Speech  Him  advice 
to  Becws  fach  Penlon,  Big  God.  Solemn 
serious,  act  I  will  as  He  orders.  Be  near 
to  His  Son  in  Sion,  and  remain  with  the 
religious  men  of  the  High  Places.  Amen." 
In  the  night  she  dreamt  that  her  goat 
had  got  dry  without  reason,  and  after 
she  had  punished  her  with  the  handle  of 
a  spade,  a  scarlet  crow  new  forth  from 
out  of  the  animal's  mouth.  Becws  inter- 
preted the  dream  thus  :  the  goat  was 
Silah,  and  the  scarlet  crow  was  the  Bad 
Man  from  the  Fiery  Pool,  and  the 
63 


CAPEL   SION 


handle  of  the  spade  was  Bem-Davydd. 
Wherefore  on  the  Sabbath  she  took  out 
her  funeral  garments  and  put  them  on 
Silah,  whom  she  brought  her  into  Sion; 
and  mother  and  daughter  sat  among  the 
hired  people  in  the  loft. 

The  rage  of  the  congregation  was 
high  when  they  comprehended  the  mean- 
ing of  this  abomination. 

"  Ach  y  fi !  "  said  one.  "  A  sick  old 
mouse  is  Becws." 

"  Out  of  her  head  is  the  female,"  said 
another.  "  Silah  was  conceived  in  brim- 
stone. The  dolt's  hair  is  the  colour  of 
flames. " 

The  praying  men  said  :  "  Not  right 
is  this,  people  bach,  dear  me.  Come, 
now,  then,  the  most  religious  of  us  off 
will  go  and  make  phrases  to  the  Res- 
pected." 

They  went  into  the  House  of  the  Capel, 
and  the  chief  of  them  was  Amos  Penparc, 
whose  riches  were  above  any  other  man 

64 


THE   PILLARS   OF   SION 


on  the  floor  of  Sion,  and  whose  piety 
was  established.  Amos  stood  on  the 
threshold,  and  the  lesser  praying  men 
stayed  on  the  flagstone,  which  is  with- 
out the  door. 

"Hello,  here!"  said  Amos.  "Not 
wishful,  religious  Respected,  are  we  to 
disturb  his  food  eating,  but  there's  grave 
are  the  words  in  my  head." 

Bern-Davydd  answered  :  "  Come  you, 
boys  bach  Capel  Sion,  the  son  of  the 
Jesus  bach  will  always  hearken  to  you." 

"  Well — well,  then,"  said  Amos  Penparc. 
"  What  he  does  not  know  that  Silah  the 
mad  bitch  sat  in  Sion  this  day  ?  " 

"  Indeed  to  goodness,  Amos  bach  ! 
Speak  you  like  that,  I  shouldn't  be  sur- 
prised," replied  Bern-Davydd. 

"  And  did  I  not  observe  the  female 
Becws  praying  her  own  prayer  while  he 
was  mouthing  to  the  Great  One  ?  "  said 
Amos. 

"  Don't  speak  any  more,  Amos  Penparc," 
F  65 


CAPEL   SION 


said  Bern-Davydd.  "  Retch  my  old  food 
I  will.  Read  you  the  Speech  Book  for  a 
small  time  bach." 

Bern-Davydd  finished  his  eating,  and  he 
lifted  his  voice  :    "  Don't  say  !  " 

"  Iss,  iss,  Respected." 

"  Can  a  carrot  turn  colour  ?  " 

The  praying  men  were  amazed. 

Amos  Penparc  said :  "Is  not  Silah 
counted  an  offender  in  the  Palace  of 
White  Shirts  ?  " 

"  Smell  is  Silah  in  the  Big  Man's  nose," 
said  Bern-Davydd. 

"  Iss,  little  Respected,"  said  Amos. 
"  Fall  upon  us  He  will.  He  will  smoulder 
our  little  ricks  of  hay.  Speak  him  then 
what  shall  our  cattle  eat." 

At  the  close  of  the  day  Bern-Davydd, 
in  the  presence  of  all  the  congregation, 
addressed  the  men  of  the  Big  Seat :  "  Now, 
then,  boys  Capel  Sion,  make  proof  about 
Silah  the  daughter  of  Becws,  Amos  Pen- 
parc, start,  man  bach." 
66 


THE   PILLARS   OF   SION 


"  Well,  now,  indeed,  no,"  said  Amos. 
"  Right  that  the  Religious  of  the  Pulpit 
says  sayings." 

"  Much  liking  has  the  Big  Man  for  you 
Amos,"  said  Bern-Davy dd. 

Amos  rose  and  turned  his  bland  coun- 
tenance and  unclouded  eyes  upon  the 
assembly,  and  fastening  his  coat  over 
his  beard,  he  spoke  :  "  Important  in  my 
pride  is  Sion.  In  Sion  the  Big  Man's  son 
dwells."  Then  sang  Amos  Penparc : 
"  Lord  bach,  lessen  your  fury  and  de- 
part not  from  us.  Has  not  the  Respected 
made  us  very  religious  ?  Is  not  the  Capel 
like  a  well-stocked  farm  ?  The  seating 
places  are  as  full  as  the  stables  of  the 
Drovers*  Arms  on  an  old  fair  day.  And 
there's  rising  will  be  from  the  burial 
ground  when  Gabriel  bach  blows  his  gold 
trumpet :  there  will  come  up  more  people 
than  I  have  sheep  on  the  moor.  Good  is 
the  Big  Male  to  his  photographs."  Amos 
ceasecl  his  song.  "  But,  people  bach,  sin- 
67 


CAPEL   SION 


ful  was  Becws  to  bring  her  mad  harlot 
into  Sion.  Lots  of  talk  nasty  there  will 
be.  Can  corn  grow  from  the  seed  of 
wasteful  old  thistles  ?  Are  mad  bitches  a 
glory  unto  Sion  ?  How  says  the  Re- 
spected :  '  Bad  old  smell  in  the  Big  Man's 
nose  is  Silah '  ?  The  Temple  must  be 
cleansed,  indeed,  now." 

"  Wholesome,  male  man  of  Penparc, 
are  your  words,"  said  the  Respected  Bern- 
Davydd.  "  Close  my  eyes  I  will  now 
and  say  affairs  to  the  Big  Man  :  Jesus 
bach,  wise  you  are  to  be  with  Amos  Penparc. 
Full  of  wisdom  is  Amos,  and  his  under- 
standing is  higher  than  the  door  of  Sion, 
deeper  than  the  whiskers  under  his  waist- 
coat. Four  pillars  hold  up  the  loft  of  Capel 
Sion,  and  not  one  is  as  strong  as  Amos.  Lias 
Carpenter  can  hew  the  pillars  with  his  saw, 
but  who  can  hew  through  Amos  ?  Speak 
now  to  us  about  cleaning  the  Temple. 
Mad  is  Silah,  and  did  not  Becws  her 
mother  bring  her  into  Sion  ?  Disgrace 
68 


THE   PILLARS   OF   SION 


very  bad  is  this.  Lewd  was  the  wench's 
behaviour,  Jesus.  Busy  am  I  thinking 
out  sermons,  so  you  come  down  and 
tell  orderings  to  Amos  Penparc.     Amen." 

Bern-Davydd's  praise  of  Amos  Penparc 
was  spread  abroad,  whereof  Becws  got 
ashamed  of  that  which  she  had  done. 

"  Why  you  are  without  sense,  idiot  ?  " 
she  said  to  Silah. 

Silah  did  not  answer. 

"  The  concubine  fach  !  "  said  Becws. 
"  A  full  barrow  of  sin  is  in  your  inside. 
Open  your  neck,  you  bull  calf.  Have  you 
not  made  me  wicked  in  the  sight  of  Sion  ?  " 

Becws  was  angry  that  her  daughter 
was  speechless  and  she  did  not  give  her 
food  for  two  days,  and  as  Silah  was  yet 
stubborn  she  placed  her  in  the  pigsty  and 
tied  her  hands  together  behind  her  back 
so  that  she  could  not  open  the  door,  and 
she  said  to  her :  "  Stay  here,  you  scarlet 
crow ;  eat  from  the  trough  and  lie  with 
the  swine." 

69 


CAPEL   SION 


Silah  licked  from  the  trough,  and  lay 
with  the  pigs.  The  people  had  tidings 
of  her  punishment.  Some  came  and 
hid  in  secret  places  about  Penlon,  and 
they  came  away  and  bore  witness 
how  that  they  had  heard  her  babbling 
in  this  fashion  to  the  pigs  :  "  Pigs  bach, 
fetch  a  little  barrow  and  take  away  the  sin 
from  my  inside.  Is  there  a  haywaggon 
large  enough  to  hold  the  sins  of  Bern- 
Davydd  ?  " 

"  Take  you  no  record,  dear  hearts, 
of  the  jolt-headed  wench,"  Becws  pleaded 
with  them.     "  Without  sense  she  is." 

The  people  noised  Silah's  blasphemy, 
and  Becws  removed  her  daughter  from 
the  pigsty,  for  she  was  afraid  that  the 
dirty  spirits  would  go  in  and  possess  the 
swine. 

"  Come  you  into  the  house,  you  yellow 

pig,"    she    said.     "  And    clap    your    lips 

about  the  terrible  Bern-Davy dd.     Is  not 

Amos  Penparc  discussing  you  with  Jesus  ?  " 

70 


THE   PILLARS   OF   SION 


Silah  did  as  she  was  commanded,  and 
she  was  as  dumb  as  she  was  before. 

Amos  addressed  the  congregation  of 
the  Seiet :  "  Well— well,  with  God  have 
I  been.  The  Big  Man  came  to  the  side 
of  my  bed.  '  Why  for  is  your  small  face 
so  down,  Amos  Penparc  ? '  He  said. 
'Have  I  withheld  your  crops  or  have  I 
displeased  you  ?  '  '  Not  for  myself  am  I 
so  low,  '  I  answered.  '  For  sure,  no,  son 
bach.  Has  not  the  Respected  reported 
well  of  you  to  me  ?  '  He  said.  4  Grand 
preacher  is  Bern-Davydd,'  I  talked.  '  Say 
you  quick  in  a  hurry  what  is  the  matter 
with  you.  Don't  rouse  my  temper,'  He 
ordered.  '  Sion  is  foul.'  I  sobbed,  little 
people.  And  I  told  him  how  the  mad 
bitch  Silah  had  sat  in  the  loft.  Surprised 
was  the  Big  Man.  '  Boy  bach,  you  don't 
mean  ! '  He  cried.  '  Iss,  indeed,  old  Silah 
Penlon  made  joy  of  her  conception 
and  I  put  my  finger  on  the  child 
in  her  belly.'  *  Dear  me  ! '  I  said.  ;  Iss, 
71 


CAPEL   SION 


Amos  bach ;  say  you  to  the  Capel  that 
the  evil  wench  must  cleanse  the  saintly 
abode,  even  the  roof  of  the  Temple.  But 
she  must  not  go  up  into  my  son's  pulpit.'  " 

The  religious  men  answered  Amen. 

Silah  came  to  free  Sion  of  her  filth, 
and  Becws  was  with  her ;  and  in  the 
middle  of  the  day  Amos  Penparc  entered 
to  look  into  Silah's  labour,  and  he  was 
not  pleased  that  Becws  was  there  also. 

"  Why  don't  you  obey,  you  strumpet 
born  of  a  donkey  ?  "  he  cried  in  his  wrath. 
"Hard  is  your  head.  Cheating  the  Big 
Man  of  His  price  you  are." 

Thereafter  Amos  tended  Silah  in  Sion, 
and  watched  that  she  did  not  go  up  into 
the  pulpit. 

The  morrow  of  the  tenth  day  after  the 
day  that  Silah  had  begun  to  clean  Sion, 
the  congregation  gathered  in  the  burial 
ground  to  bury  the  body  of  a  man,  and  as 
the  people  looked  down  upon  the  floor 
of  the  grave,  behold,  the  earth  was  dis- 
72 


THE   PILLARS   OF   SION 


turbed  and  there  were  foot-holes  in  the 
walls  of  it.  The  people  were  abashed  and 
awed,  because  the  dead  man  had  lived 
without  reproach.  They  drew  to  Amos 
Penparc,  asking  of  him :  "  Amos  the 
wise,  make  you  explanations  how  this 
thing  has  come  about."  Amos  exercised 
his  mind.  He  replied :  "A  daughter  of 
the  Bad  Man  is  in  the  Capel,  and  the  last 
night  old  Satan  came  up  from  the  Fiery 
Pool  to  converse  with  her." 

"  Sober,  indeed,"  said  one,  "did  the  black 
Satan   enter  the  Capel  ?     How  now  ?  " 

Amos  admonished  this  person  :  "  Like 
a  squirrel  of  an  infidel  you  are.  Sion 
would  consume  Satan." 

In  the  middle  of  the  twelfth  week  Sion 
was  whole  again.  That  which  the  Big  Man 
had  said  to  Amos  Penparc  was  come  to 
pass.  All  of  the  congregation  were  very 
proud.  The  praying  men  blessed  the  Lord, 
and  the  singing  men  and  women  sang 
His  fame. 

78 


CAPEL    SION 


On  a  night  Bern-Davydd  assembled 
the  men  of  the  Big  Seat,  and  to  them  he 
said  :  "  Boys  bach,  religious  we  are  in 
Sion.  Fitting  now  will  be  to  show  re- 
spect to  the  Big  Man.  Amos  Penparc,  give 
advice  to  us." 

"  •  Search  the  Scriptures,'  say  the  Book 
of  Words,"  Amos  answered.  "  Grand  will 
be  to  hold  a  Questioning  the  Problem 
gathering.  Little  ruler,  he  .will  be  the 
questioner." 

Sion  took  Amos's  counsel  and  ordained 
this  religious  feast  on  the  Day  of  Christmas, 
which  was  three  months  away  ;  and  the 
men  cunning  and  subtle  in  the  Word 
were  bidden  to  the  loft  of  Capel  Sion  to 
have  their  knowledge  tested  by  Bern- 
Davydd. 

As  the  day  of  the  feast  came  near, 
Silah's  size  enlarged. 

Becws  was  uneasy ;  she  moaned  on  the 
Tramping  road  that  her  daughter  was  pos- 
sessed of  many  satans.  Moreover  she  heated 
74 


THE   PILLARS   OF   SION 


an  iron  rod  with  fire  and  laid  it  on  Silah's 
navel.  But  the  satans  did  not  go  away  ; 
and  Silah's  size  continued  to  increase. 

Now  in  the  dark  Silah  left  her  mother's 
house  and  journeyed  through  the  fields 
to  Penparc,  and  at  the  door  of  the  stable 
she  made  a  noise  like  the  bray  of  a  mule. 
Amos  came  out  to  her  and  opened  the 
door  of  the  stable,  and  he  said  to  her  : 
"  Now,  well- well,  Silah  Penlon,  how  was 
you,  then  ?  " 

Silah  put  out  her  arms  and  drew  Amos 
to  her ;  and  she  uttered  words :  "  Boy  bach 
nice  is  Amos."  Amos  was  dismayed 
and  he  could  not  free  himself  from  her 
embrace.  Before  the  darkness  got  thin 
he  laid  a  snare  for  her  :  "  Come  you  here 
before  the  twilight  of  the  third  day,  Silah 
fach,  and  a  large  little  reward  will  I  give 
you.  Go  you  out,  now,  through  the  little 
window." 

Silah  went  abroad  in  the  neighbourhood 
and  she  laughed  in  the  face  of  the  people 
75 


CAPEL   SION 


and  spoke  foolishly  in  their  hearing. 
She  was  joyous,  though  she  did  not 
know  anything.  Becws  thanked  the  Lord 
loudly:  was  He  not  repenting  of  His 
works  against  Silah  ? 

On  the  eve  of  the  twilight  of  the  third 
day  Silah  stood  at  the  door  of  the  stable 
of  Penparc  and  she  made  a  noise  like  the 
bray  of  a  mule.  Amos  came  out  of  his 
house  and  there  was  with  him  Bern- 
Davy  dd,  and  to  him  he  said  :  "  What's 
that  old  shouting,  I  don't  know  ? "  and 
they  two  walked  up  to  Silah. 

Bern-Davy  dd  seeing  her,  said  :  "Go 
you  off,  you  mad  bitch  of  hell  fire." 

Silah  did  not  attend  to  his  words.  She 
put  out  her  arms.  "  Boy  bach  nice  is 
Amos  Penparc,"  she  cried. 

Amos  was  vexed.  "  What  for  you 
mean,  you  clobstick  ?  "  he  said.  "  Re- 
ligious, witness  him  that  I  am  falsely 
accused." 

"  What  you  call  ?  "  said  Bern-Davydd 
76 


THE   PILLARS   OF   SION 


to  her.     "  Away  you  off  now,  or  for  sure 
kick  your  teeth  will  I." 

As  Silah  did  not  move  Bern-Davydd 
threw  her  upon  the  ground.  The  woman 
rose,  turned,  and  ran.  Bern-Davydd  and 
Amos  followed  her  and  pelted  her  with 
stones,  and  with  clods  of  earth.  At 
Penlon,  Amos  said  to  Becws :  "  Shout 
you  up  your  swine  Silah." 

Silah  came. 

"  Deny,  you  cow,"  said  Amos  to  her, 
"  that  I  have  been  bad  with  you.  Jesus 
bach,  if  I  have  mixed  my  flesh  with  the 
flesh  of  any  old  female,  make  you  a  small 
sign." 

He  gazed  around  for  a  sign,  and  here 
was  none  ;  and  he  congratulated  the  Big 
Man  that  He  was  on  the  side  of  righteous- 
ness. 

Then  he  counselled  with  Bern-Davydd, 

and  they  two  caused  a  seat  to  be  set  for 

Silah  in  the  cow-stall,   and  they  placed 

over  her  neck  a  hempen  halter,  the  ends 

77 


CAPEL   SION 


of  which  were  attached  to  an  iron  staple 
driven  deep  into  the  wood  of  the  stall. 

Silah  bit  through  the  rope  and  thieved 
the  saw  of  Lias  Carpenter,  and  she 
came  by  stealth  into  Capel  Sion,  and 
sawed  through  each  of  the  four  pillars ; 
and  no  one  saw  her  going  in  or  coming 
out.  In  the  morning  the  subtle  men 
congregated  in  the  loft.  The  pillars 
parted,  and  the  loft  fell,  but  Amos  Pen- 
pare  was  without  hurt. 


78 


THE   WIDOW'S  MITE 


79 


VI 
THE   WIDOW'S    MITE 

Concerning  the  cow  Gwen  of  Esther 
Crooked  Tygwyn — Tygwyn  is  on  the  zig- 
zag lane  that  goes  up  from  Penparc.  It  came 
to  be  that  the  cow  would  neither  eat  nor  give 
any  milk,  and  she  did  not  chew  her  cud 
For  those  reasons  Esther  was  troubled  in 
her  mind.  She  spoke  to  Morgan  her  hus- 
band :  "  What  is  the  matter  with  the  cow, 
I  don't  know.  Hap  she  wants  the  bull 
bach.  Drive  her  now  to  the  black  bull  of 
Amos." 

Morgan  sat  on  a  three-legged  stool  and 
his  grey  hands   were   spread   out   over  a 
peat  fire.     He    groaned    because    of    the 
cancer  which   was  in  his   throat. 
g  81 


CAPEL   SION 


"  What  for  you  are  a  botherer,  the 
man  ? "  said  Esther.  "  Old  evil  is  in 
your  flesh.    Go  off  this  one  minute." 

Morgan  herded  Gwen  to  the  close  of 
Penparc  and  he  acquainted  Amos  with 
the  purpose  of  his  errand.  Upon  that 
Amos  brought  forth  his  bull,  at  the  sight 
of  which  Gwen  quailed,  because  for  bigness 
and  strength  the  animal,  surpassed  all 
others  in  the  land  round  about,  and  fled. 

"  Very  odd,  dear  me,  is  your  cow,  Mor- 
gan," said  Amos. 

"  Iss— iss,"  Morgan  answered.  "  Sick 
is  the  cow  fach.  Does  she  not  hold 
back  her  milk  ?  " 

"  Talk  you  like  that,  the  awful  black," 
said  Amos.  "  Scampish  you  are,  bad 
boy,  to  bring  your  old  cow  to  defile  my 
black  bull.  Will  I  not  get  much  yellow 
money  for  him  at  the  Fair  Harvest  ? 
For  shame  indeed,  Morgan  Tygwyn." 

Whereupon  Morgan  humbled  himself 
in  the  face  of  Amos ;  and  he  went 
82 


THE   WIDOW'S   MITE 


home  and  told  Esther  all  of  that  Amos 
had  spoken  to  him.  Hence  the  woman 
derided  him  that  he  had  not  devised 
deceits.  "  Speak  you  to  him  not  about 
the  largeness  of  the  bucket  that  Gwen  fills 
with  milk  ?  A  blind  sow  is  in  your  head." 
Therefore  Esther  was  perplexed  and 
dejected,  and  she  was  distressed  that 
the  cow's  life  was  in  jeopardy.  So  she 
pondered ;  and  while  she  pondered  she 
put  away  the  mess  that  was  in  the  cow- 
house and  scattered  clean  straw  upon 
the  floor  of  the  stall,  and  when  she  had 
spread  a  blanket  over  the  straw,  she 
brought  Gwen  therein,  saying  :  "  Lie  you 
down,  dear  cow."  Presently  she  gazed 
at  the  animal's  udder,  and  beholding  an 
ulcer  upon  it,  she  made  a  poultice  from 
bread  and  water  and  with  it  she  covered 
the  wound.  Having  ceased  her  labours 
that  day,  she  spoke  these  words  to  God  : 
"  Big  Man,  turn  your  think  and  don't 
destroy  the   cow   Gwen.     A  fair  woman 

83 


CAPEL   SION 


am  I  in  Sion,  Jesus  bach.  Esther  is  my 
name,  and  is  there  not  a  little  Esther  in 
the  Book  of  Words  ?  Costly  is  Gwen. 
Three  over  fifteen  sovereigns  is  the  price 
of  a  cow  like  her,  and  no  old  luck  money 
back.  Little  Big  Farmer,  make  her  healthy. 
Be  with  your  boy  bach  in  Capel  Sion. 
Amen."  Then  she  rested  on  a  portion  of 
the  blanket  and  slept. 

Two  days  and  two  nights  was  the 
period  which  Esther  stayed  by  Gwen, 
and  though  she  made  a  new  prayer 
and  covered  the  ulcer  with  many  fresh 
poultices,  the  cow  was  not  rid  of  her 
sickness.  On  that  account  Esther's  ire 
livened  up  against  Morgan,  and  she  said 
to  him  that  he  had  charged  the  cow  with  his 
disease.  Morgan  answered  neither  yes  nor 
no,  for  his  strength  was  as  a  little  child's. 
After  the  heat  of  her  passion  was  over, 
Esther  meditated ;  in  the  morning  she 
stirred  early,  and  she  clothed  herself  in 
her  Sabbath  garments  ;  and  she  journeyed 
84 


THE   WIDOW'S   MITE 


to  Castellybryn,  to  the  house  of  Sam 
Warts,  whose  trade  it  is  to  buy  cattle. 
Him  she  addressed :  "  Woe  is  in  my 
stomach,  man  bach." 

"  Talk  you  about  what  ?  "   said  Sam. 

"  Don't  he  mock  me,  the  good  boy." 
Esther  said.  "  Perishing  is  Morgan  bach. 
Sober  am  I." 

"  Are  we  not  all  like  little  cattle  ? 
Iss,  very  well,  woman  fach,  all  of  us  shall 
wear  the  White  Shirt  fach." 

"  Wise  is  he,  the  male  of  the  Big  Man. 
Grand  is  his  wisdom.  Say  him,  God's 
servant,  good  sayings  about  Morgan." 

"  Stop  you,  now,"  said  Sam ;  "  the 
Meeting  for  Prayer  is  on  the  third  night. 
Eloquent,  for  sure,  shall  my  spoutings  be 
for  Morgan  Tygwyn." 
"  Large  thanks,  Sam  Warts,"  said  Esther. 
"  Comforted  will  Morgan  be  to  see  him 
before  he  crosses." 

"  Brisk  am  I,  dear  me,  Esther  Tygwyn." 

"  Serious,    iss.     Hap    he    likes    to    s<*e 
85 


CAPEL    SION 


Gwen.     Cow  fach  very  pretty  is  the  cow 
fach." 

"  Talk  you  the  age  of  the  cow,  Esther." 

"  Nine  years,  little  son.  But  sell  her  I 
won't.     Grand  milcher  she  is." 

"  Pay  I  nice  yellow  sovereigns  for  her." 

"  The  last  day  Morgan  bach  said : 
4  Going  am  I  to  the  Palace,  Esther.  If 
you  sell  Gwen  take  her  to  Sam  Warts, 
for  the  man  is  mighty  in  Capel  Bethel, 
Castellybryn.' " 

"  And  like  that  he  said  ?  His  words  I 
shall  repeat  to  the  One." 

"  Boy  nice  religious,  iss  iss.  Clap  hands 
then,  for  five  over  ten  sovereigns  and 
the  cow  I  shall  bring  him  the  first  morn- 
ing." 

"  Come  will  I  and  search  over  her," 
Sam   answered. 

"  Clap  hands,  and  half  a  yellow  sove- 
reign he  shall  have  for  luck." 

"  No,    woman.     The    yellow    money    I 
have  not  in  the  pockets  of  my  trousers." 
86 


THE   WIDOW'S   MITE 


That  night  Esther  entreated  the  Lord  : 
"  Big  Man  All  Right,  mean  is  the  scamp 
Sam.  Close  his  eyes  against  the  very 
small  sore  on  Gwen's  udder.  Be  with 
your  boy  bach  in  Capel  Sion.  Amen." 
In  the  day  she  opened  the  mouth  of  the 
cow  and  put  grass  between  the  lips  and 
the  teeth,  and  she  also  sprinkled  white 
flour  upon  the  udder. 

Sam  the  cattle  dealer  came  out  of 
Castellybryn  into  the  house  of  Esther, 
and  he  examined  Gwen  and  rubbed  away 
the  flour  that  was  on  the  udder  ;  and  his 
wrath  against  the  woman  was  such  that 
he  dug  a  finger  nail  into  one  of  the  warts 
which  was  on  his  forehead,  and  he  said  to 
her  that  she  had  done  more  to  provoke  the 
Big  Man's  hate  than  even  the  sinners 
who  mouth  book  prayers  in  the  church. 

His  words  caused  Esther  exceeding  mis- 
ery and  she  could  not  sleep,  and  at  dawn 
she  said  to  Morgan  :  "  Shake  your  body 
you  black  of  a  turk."  Morgan  put  clogs 
87 


CAPEL    SION 


on  his  feet  and  a  coat  over  his  body,  and 
when  he  had  eaten  of  a  little  broth,  Esther 
spoke  to  him  :  "Go  you  with  the  old  cow 
beyond  the  moor  and  say  to  the  people  : 
'  Persons  honest,  boy  bach  am  I  from 
Capel  Sion.  The  little  cow  is  all  that  I 
possess,  and  see  you  how  she  is  perishing. 
Bad  cancer,  too,  is  eating  my  neck. 
Give  you  me,  then,  a  little  halfpenny  or  a 
little  penny.'     Walk  you  off." 

The  man    did    put    a    cord    over    the 

horns  of  Gwen  and  he   led  her  over  the 

moor  and  into   the  road  of  Morfa  ;  and 

to    all  the  people   he   met  he   spoke  the 

words    which   Esther    had     ordered   him 

to    speak ;     and    as    he    passed  forward 

men    and    women  moved    to  the  middle 

of   the  way  and  remarked    his  height — 

he  was  a  very  high  man — and  one  said 

to   another :     "  His   coffin   shall  be  long 

and  shallow."     He  journeyed   forth   four 

days ;      and  the   sum   of  money    which 

he     gathered    was    over     five    shillings. 

88 


THE    WIDOW'S    MITE 


So  it  was  that  the  sickness  of  death 
gripped  him ;  he  could  not  speak  and  he 
walked  as  walks  one  who  is  diseased 
in  both  feet.  In  the  middle  of  the  fifth 
day  he  died.  Then  an  awful  rage  possessed 
Esther,  and  she  put  a  rope  over  the  forelegs 
and  a  rope  over  the  hind  legs  of  her  cow. 
The  end  of  the  rope  that  was  over  the 
forelegs  she  fixed  to  a  wood  peg  which  was 
driven  into  the  floor  of  the  field  near  to 
a  tree  of  sour  apples,  and  the  end  of  the 
rope  that  was  over  the  hind  legs  she  fixed 
to  a  bough  of  the  tree. 

While  Gwen  was  perishing  Esther  cast 
off  all  her  clothes  and  sat  upon  the  heap 
of  newly  broken  stones  which  was  against 
her  house,  and  she  answered  passers  to 
who  inquired  why  she  conducted  herself 
so  strangely  :  "  Very  nude  am  I  after  the 
flying  of  Morgan  bach."  Many,  in  their 
pity,  gave  her  money. 

In  the  morning  she  loosened  the  ropes 
which  held  Gwen  to  the  tree  and  to  the 
89 


CAPEL   SION 


floor,  and  she  stripped  the  animal  of  its 
hide ;  when  she  was  finished  and  had 
made  the  hide  into  a  bundle,  she  went 
outwards  and  into  the  houses  of  the 
district,  and  to  some  of  the  inhabitants 
she  said  :  "  Having  gone  is  my  cow  fach. 
Give  you  me  a  little  red  penny  ;  "  to  others 
she  said  :  "In  his  White  Shirt  is  Morgan 
Tygwyn,  the  male  of  mine.  Give  me 
a  red  halfpenny."  She  assumed  grief, 
and  in  the  sight  of  every  one  she  laid  bare 
the  affliction  which  made  her  crooked. 
She  travelled  to  the  Hills  of  Boncath, 
the  Shores  of  Morfa,  and  to  Castellybryn. 
She  stumbled  back  to  Tygwyn  on  the 
twelfth  day,  and  she  was  possessed  of  two, 
sovereigns,  above  the  sum  which  Morgan 
had  gathered  and  the  sum  which  she  got 
for  Gwen's  hide. 

Esther  rested  and  slept.      In  the  day, 

after  supping  of  bread  in  tea,  she  set  out 

to  the  house  of  Abel  Shones,   who  is  the 

giver  of  Poor  Relief.     She  said  to    Abel : 

90 


THE    WIDOW'S    MITE 


"  My  heart  bach,  get  him  a  coffin  for  my 
male  husband." 

"  What  for  you  babble  ?  "  answered 
Abel.  "  Put  your  money  in  your  apron 
and  take  him  to  Lias  Carpenter." 

"  Oh,  there's  a  boy  bach  nasty  you 
was,"  said  Esther ;  "  poorer  am  I  than 
a  fish,"  and  she  wept  in  Abel's  hearing. 

Abel  came  up  to  Tygwyn  to  view 
and  measure  Morgan,  and  as  he  drew 
aside  the  sacks  which  covered  the  body, 
lo,  worms  crept  in  and  out  of  the  mouth 
and  out   of  the  eyes  of  the  dead  man. 


91 


CALVARY 


93 


VII 
CALVARY 

Pedr,  the  earth  of  the  altar  which  he 
named  "Calvary"  and  on  which  he  ad- 
dressed God  still  on  his  garb,  came  down 
from  the  moor  to  warn  the  people  of  Sion 
that  their  sins  were  so  heavy  and  many 
that  the  Big  Man  could  neither  weigh 
them  nor  create  bags  enough  into  which 
to  put  them.  Of  his  words  the  congrega- 
tion were  careless. 

Lloyd  Schoolin  cried  to  him  :  "  What 
about  a  bit  of  a  sermon,  now,  Pedr  ?  " 

"  Not  a  preacher  very  grand  am  I," 
answered  Pedr.  "  Do  you  not  listen  to 
the  Respected  Bern-Davy dd  ?  " 

"  Boy,  boy,"  said  Lloyd  Schoolin, 
"  preacher  all  right  you  are." 

"  Good  your  words,  dear  me,"  replied 
95 


CAPEL  SION 


Pedr.  "  Glad  would  I  be  to  spout  in  a 
religious  capel." 

"  For  sure,  iss,"  said  the  people ;  and 
they  feigned  to  be  serious. 

"  Come  you,  now,  to  the  Garden  of 
Eden  and  speech  preaches  to  us,"  said 
Lloyd  Schoolin. 

In  the  Garden  of  Eden  Pedr  stood  on 
the  trunk  of  a  fallen  tree.  "  Now,  then," 
he  said,  "  sing  you  a  nice  hymn." 

Lloyd  Schoolin  splayed  his  feet  and 
sounded  his  tuning  fork  upon  his  black- 
ened teeth ;  and  the  people  having  sung, 
Pedr  placed  his  hand  upon  his  nostrils, 
which  were  flattened  against  his  lips,  and 
prayed  silently. 

"  Go  on,  Pedr,"  said  Lloyd  Schoolin. 
"  Say  the  preach,  man.  Iss,  people,  a 
fool  of  a  preacher  is  Pedr.  Away  we 
will  go." 

"  No-no,"  Pedr  urged.  "  Stay  you  and 
hear  Pedr  bach.  The  rage  of  the  Big 
Man  is  as  furious  as  the  rage  of  the  ram 
96      - 


CALVARY 

that  slayed  Hetti's  child  by  Job  Stallion." 

"  Now,  Pedr,  go  slow.  Old  wench 
very  bad  is  Hetti.  Did  not  the  Big  Man 
make  her  mad  ?     Go  slow." 

Pedr  looked  upon  the  people  with  con- 
cern. "  This  is  what  the  Big  Man  talked 
to  me :  4  Grasping  is  the  Ruler  of  the 
Pulpit.  Always  asking  he  is,  Pedr  bach, 
for  yellow  money.  There's  a  boy  he  is 
for  his  pocket.  And  because  I  abhor  Sion 
I  have  sent  Davydd  to  judge  there.'  " 

"  Look  you,  Pedr,"  said  the  Schoolin, 
"  sin  you  mouth." 

One  stood  up  behind  Pedr  and  lit  a 
match  and  held  the  flame  of  it  at  the  fork 
of  Pedr's  legs,  whereat  the  congregation 
laughed,  Lloyd  saying :  "  Jasto,  indeed 
me,  there's  comic.  An  old  sore  the  dull  man 
will  get.   Wenches,  look  at  her  burning." 

Pedr  put  out  the  burn  and  proceeded  : 
"  Sin  to  do  this  against  a  male.  But,  well- 
well,  among  Sinners  am  I  Tell  you  who 
shall  wear  the  White  Shirts  of  the  Palace  ? 
h  97 


CAPEL  SION 


Like  this  the  Big  One :  '  Wickedness  is 
in  the  burial  grounds  of  Capel  Sion.  How 
can  White  Shirts  grow  out  of  wicked- 
ness ?  '  Into  the  Fiery  Pool  you  will  be 
thrown.  Amos  Penparc  robbed  his  own 
blood  and  sinned  against  Silah  Penlon. 
Job  Stallion  kills  his  wife.  Dan  son  of 
Shan  was  bad  with  his  old  mam.  The 
Big  One  will  loosen  the  sea  of  Mprfa  and  the 
sea  shall  run  up  the  moor  and  sweep  down 
upon  you,  and  you  will  all  be  thrown  into  a 
Pool  filled  with  brimstone  and  water,  and 
the  water  will  sting  you  more  fiercely  than 
the  brimstone.  Pedr  bach  will  stand  on 
Calvary,  and  my  flesh  shall  be  unsinged. 
The  little  white  Jesus  says  :  '  You,  Pedr, 
will  bury  the  utterly  dead  after  the  Rising. 
I  am  not '  " 

The  people  laughed  scornfully. 

"  A  black  of  a  pig  you  are,"  said  Lloyd 
Schoolin.     "  Pelt  you  we  will  with   mess." 

Some  of  the  congregation  tossed  dung 
upon  Pedr's  face,  and  some  derided  him 
98 


CALVARY 

with  their  tongues  and  mocked  him  with 
distorted  faces.  Pedr  did  not  try  to  evade 
any  of  the  blows  nor  one  handful  of  the 
mess  which  was  aimed  at  him.  "  The 
Man  of  Justice  will  punish  you  for  this. 
Pray  the  mess  bach  you  shall  for  your 
fields.  Very  good  am  I  in  the  Big  One's 
eyes,  and  I  shall  live  for  ever.  Off  I  will 
now  and  pray  for  Sion  on  Calvary  the 
whole  of  this  night  and  the  next  day." 

Then  went  Pedr  up  to  Calvary,  and  at 
the  rising  of  the  sun  he  paused  in  his 
prayer  to  refresh  himself  with  a  little  water, 
and  as  he  neared  his  hut  he  saw  Lloyd 
Schoolin  and  Bertha  Daviss  parting  at  the 
entrance  thereof.  The  Schoolin  hasted 
towards  the  Roman  trench.  Pedr  cried  : 
"  Stop,  Schoolin  bach.  A  warm  male 
you  are  for  flesh." 

"  Indeed,  Pedr,"  answered  Lloyd,  "  talk 
anything  you  are.  Bad  female  is  Bertha. 
Praying  for  her  was  I." 

Pedr  stood  in  Lloyd's  path.  "  The 
99 


CAPEL  SION 


Schoolin,"  he  said,  "  timid  is  your 
nature." 

"  Iss,  to  goodness.  A  timid  one  bach 
am  I.  Depart  I  will  now  to  open  the 
School." 

"  Go  you  do  into  Bertha  because  the 
concubine  is  no  longer  fruitful.  Evil  is 
that  in  the   eyes   of  the  large  Father." 

"  Look  you,  Pedr.  Brawl  not  like 
that.  Tempt  me  into  the  hut  did  the 
bitch.  Did  she  not  say  :  '  Come  you  into 
the  hut.  Pedr  is  praying  this  night. 
Ask  you  now  for  mercy  for  me.  And 
don't  you  speak  too  loud,  boy  nice '  ?  « 

Lloyd  listened  to  Pedr's  words,  and 
then  he  said  :  "  Very  religious  I  feel.  A 
male  very  grand  you  are.  Journey  you 
down  to  the  School  House  and  discuss  the 
White  Evangel  we  will." 

On  the  third  night  after  Pedr  had  been 

to  the  School  House,  Lloyd  said  to  Bern- 

Davydd  :    "  To  the  door  of  the  Abode  I 

will  walk  with  him  for  a  little  converse. 

100 


CALVARY 


Who  shall  help  me  if  not  the  son  of  Jesus 
bach  ?  " 

"  This  is  hearing  so  and  such,"  said 
B  em-Da vydd.  "  Sadness  is  in  my  heart 
also  Mishtress  Bern-Davy dd  says :  '  Not 
respectable  unto  Sion  is  his  preacher's 
coat,  Respected  \" 

"  Dear,  dear.  Order  Enoch  the  Teller 
of  Things  I  will  to  shout  for  a  nice  collec- 
tion." 

"  No,  don't  you  do  that,  Schoolin. 
The  Big  Man  will  not  suffer  His  son  to 
want." 

"  How  would  he  say,  then,  if  I  gave 
him  a  silver  crown  to  buy  one  ?  "  asked 
Lloyd. 

"  Keep  you  the  silver  crown  in  the 
pocket  of  your  trousers,"  said  Bern- 
Davydd.     "  Fair  night  for  now." 

"  Two  silver  crowns  can  I  give,"  said 
Lloyd.     "  Two  large  silver  crowns." 

"  Not  needful  for  old  money  am  I," 
B  em-Davy  dd  declared.  "  Make  you  me 
101 


CAPEL  SION 


take  two  silver  crowns  and  half  a  silver 
crown.  Well-well,  all  in  the  name  of  the 
Rich  Man." 

"Very  Respected  Religious,"  said  Lloyd 
Schoolin,  "  keep  him  by  me  now.  He 
knows  that  this  is  the  truth  that  spouts 
from  my  head.  A  yellow  sovereign  has 
the  tinker  Pedr  thieved  from  me." 

"  Lloyd  Schoolin,  wealth  you  have 
lost.     Speak  you  about  this." 

"  Pity  I  had  for  Pedr,  and  I  placed 
food  before  him  in  my  house." 

"  Dear  me,  and  woe  is  me.  Satan 
is  Pedr.  Does  he  not  cry  that  you 
and  Bertha  Daviss  go  into  his  old 
hut  ?  " 

"  There's  a  rotten  turnip,"  said  Lloyd. 
"  The  Religious  Respected  knows  that 
my  flesh  is  clean." 

"Go  up  we  will  and  speak  hard  to  the 

iob,"  replied  Bern-Davydd.     "  To  the  Lord 

you   give   three   silver  crowns,  and   send 

you  a  portion  of  pig's  meat  to  the  Mish- 

102 


CALVARY 

tress.     Tell  her  I  will  to  boil  the  meat 
bach  in  the  broth." 

Bern-Da vydd  and  Lloyd  Schoolin  and 
a  great  company  went  up  to  the  moor 
Pedr  was  on  Calvary  and  he  saw  them 
from  afar  off  and  his  heart  was  vain 
of  their  coming.  He  shouted :  "  Iss,  I 
speak  true  religion.  The  Big  Man  com- 
manded me  to  build  this  altar.  He  said : 
'Make  you  Calvary  so  tall  that  you  can 
discern  even  the  littlest  in  Sion  returning 
from  his  adultery.  Horrible  is  this  sin 
in  the  Capel.'  " 

The  company  arrived  at  the  foot  of 
the  altar.  Lloyd  Schoolin  spoke  :  "  Why 
for  you  lose  your  breath  ?  " 

"  Better  lose  my  breath  than  my  soul," 
Pedr  answered.  "  More  costly  than  all 
the   sheep    on   the   moor   is   your   soul." 

Bern-Davydd  stepped  forward  :    "  Clap 
up.     Pilferer  you  are.     Like  the  old  boy 
who  was  crucified.     Give  back  to  Schoolin 
bach  his  one  sovereign." 
103 


CAPEL  SION 


"  Wild  words  with  no  meaning  he 
speaks,"  said  Pedr.  "  What  use  has  Pedr 
for  yellow  money  ?  " 

"  Creatures,"  Bern-Davydd  cried, 
"  know  you  all  that  Lloyd  Schoolin  pos- 
sessed a  yellow  sovereign.  Then,  well- 
well.  Old  Pedr  must  suffer  for  his 
thieving.  Fetch  Morgan  Polis  we  will. 
Come  you  down,  now,  the  frog." 

Lloyd  Schoolin  ascended  to  the  top 
of  the  altar  and  he  hurled  Pedr  upon  the 
floor  of  the  moor.  "  Don't  let  him  run 
away,  boys,"  cried  Lloyd. 

The  company  herded  Pedr  to  the  School- 
house,  and  they  tied  together  his  feet 
and  put  him  in  the  Schoolin's  henloft. 
Pedr  whined  to  the  Big  Man  to  overturn 
the  walls  of  the  loft ;  he  whined  until 
his  voice  was  become  a  whisper ;  and  he 
wept  that  God  had  taken  the  part  of  the 
sinners  of  Sion.  He  asked  for  bread  and 
water  ;  none  gave  him  any.  In  the  early 
morning  of  the  third  day  Lloyd  removed 
104 


CALVARY 

the  trapdoor  and  said  :    "  Take  off  your 
snout,  bad  bird  of  the  Fiery  Pool." 

Pedr  moved  slowly.  On  the  way  to 
Calvary  he  licked  up  the  dew  that  was 
on  the  grass,  and  from  the  foot  of  Calvary 
he  gazed  at  the  faces  of  the  sheep  around 
him,  and  communed  with  himself  :  "  Well- 
well,  now,  animals  bach  do  not  go  into 
the  Palace."  He  cast  off  his  garments 
and  sought  the  face  of  God,  saying : 
"  Like  a  porker  I  came,  Big  Man  bach, 
and  like  a  porker  I  return.  Dear  me, 
now,  Jesus  nice,  don't  you  send  me  a 
White  Shirt." 


105 


SONS  OF  THEIR  FATHER 


107 


VIII 

SONS   OF   THEIR  FATHER 

The  children  of  Essec  were  gathered  at 
their  father's  bed ;  their  names — from 
first  to  last,  naming  even  John,  the 
child  of  his  wanton  days — were  John, 
Amos,  Daniel,  Ruth. 

John  was  high  and  thin,  with  a  narrow 
eye  and  yellow  skin,  a  niggardly  beard 
and  sparing  lips ;  and  the  Big  Man,  in 
whose  sight  he  was  without  favour,  had 
branded  his  forehead  with  a  black  mole. 
His  years  were  fifty. 

Amos  was  a  little  man  ;  his  countenance 

was   mild    and    his    eye  unclouded,    and 

his   chin   was   covered   by   a   red    beard 

which  waved   beyond  the  opening  of  his 

109 


CAPEL    SION 


waistcoat.  The  days  of  Amos  were  forty- 
three  years. 

Hairy  also  was  Daniel,  his  stature  was 
neither  high  nor  little,  and  he  was  squint- 
eyed.     The   years   of   Daniel  were   forty. 

Ruth  was  a  child  of  her  father's  weak- 
ness. Her  years  were  twenty-five  ;  her 
way  was  showy  and  her  mind  was  vain- 
glorious. 

These,  counting  John,  were  the  children 
of  Essec  Penparc  ;  Penparc  the  farm  which 
is  on  the  slope  of  the  hill  that  rises  from 
Avon  Bern  to  the  moor,  and  all  the  land 
thereto — which  is  both  arable  and  pasture 
— is  good  and  fat. 

Now  concerning  Amos.  The  man  was 
endowed  with  wisdom  and  much  religious 
understanding.  He  spoke  to  his  brothers 
and  sister  :  "  There's  nice  that  we  are 
all  here  to  see  father  bach  flying." 

His  words  did  not  please  Daniel :  "  The 
male  foolish,  why  for  you  speak  like  a 
lean  old  pig  ?  Have  you  better  sense  of 
110 


SONS    OF   THEIR    FATHER 


the  Evangel.  Crossing  the  Jordan  father 
bach  is,  and  his  Sabbath  boots,  dear  me, 
will  they  not  be  dry  when  he  meets  the 
White  Jesus  bach  on  the  Shore  ?  " 

John  sat  on  a  stool.  "  Awkward  is 
this  happening,  boys  bach,"  he  said. 
"  Killed  the  old  meadow  I  did  yesterday. 
Ripe  will  the  hay  bach  be  on  the  day  of 
the  funeral." 

"  Ach  y  fi,"  cried  Amos.  "  Spout  like 
an  infidel  you  do.  A  corpse  is  before  all 
things,  John  bach.  How  speech  you  now 
if  we  sing  a  weepful  hymn,  and  I  make 
a  large   prayer  in  .a   loud  tone?" 

John  rose  from  his  stool,  and  spoke 
in  a  small  voice  :  "  Ask  a  question  bach 
will  I  before  his  old  boots  touch  the 
water ;  "  and  he  thrust  his  face  close  to 
Essec's  face  and  said  :  "  Very  worthless 
is  the  meadow,  little  father.  Poor  bad 
is  the  hay  crop.  Say  you  then  that  the 
meadow  is  my  inheritance." 

"  Woe  me,"  said  Amos.  "  Why  for 
111 


CAPEL    SION 


you  make  me  savage,  man  ?  Don't  you, 
boy  bach,  worship  the  meadow." 

**  Crafty  old  mare,"  John  replied,  "  is  this 
a  light  thing  for  me  to  lose  the  meadow  ?  " 

Then  Daniel  opened  his  lips  :  "  White 
will  be  your  Shirt,  man,  in  the  Palace  if 
you  speech  this  to  me  :  '  To  you,  Dan, 
I  give  Dinas,  all  but  the  moorland., 
See  you,  I  must  deal  even  with  Ruth 
for  is  she  not  of  my  loins  ?  So  we  give 
the  moor  to  her.'  " 

No  answer  came  from  Essec,  wherefore 
Amos  turned  upon  his  brothers  and  sister 
and  sang  in  a  religious  fashion.  These 
are  the  words  which  he  sang  : 

"  Boys,  boys,  where  is  your  faith  ? 
Awful  you  are  to  mock  the  Big  Man  at 
this  hour.  See  you  not  Gabriel  bach 
beckoning  his  finger  at  my  father  Essec  ? 
And  prattle  you  do  of  wickedness.  What 
is  the  Big  One  saying :  '  Essec  Pen- 
pare,  you  have  done  fairish.  Come,  now, 
to  wear  a  Wnite  Shirt.  This  parting 
112 


SONS   OF  THEIR   FATHER 


must  not  sadden  you ;   is  not  Amos  your 
photograph  ? '  " 

*c  Stallion  of  a  sow,"  said  John,  "  how 
you  preach  preaches  when  there  is  busi- 
ness need  settling  ?  "  He  moved  closer  to 
the  bed.     "  Father,  waggle  your  tongue." 

"  Iss,  indeed,  father  bach,"  spoke  Daniel, 
"  as  you  mouth :  Dinas  you  give  to 
me." 

"  For  sure,  I  must  have  word,"  said 
John.  "  An  awful  stealer  is  Amos.  You 
give  the  meadow  to  me.     Iss — iss." 

"  Loutish  sparrow,  if  I  was  not  to 
have  Dinas  why  you  did  not  say  so 
before  now  ?  "  said  Daniel.  "  Manure 
patent  I  scattered  on  the  land.  Costly 
that  was.  Go  you  and  ask  Shop  Co- 
operative in  Castellybryn.  But  you  give 
me  Dinas,  don't  you  ?  And  when  persons 
speak  to  your  son  :  4  A  good  farm  you've 
got,  Daniel.  How  came  you  by  her  ?  ' 
I  shall  answer :  '  This  is  my  father's 
blessing.'  " 

I  113 


CAPEL   SION 


Amos  addressed  the  Big  Man  :  "  Wise 
Farmer,  be  not  over-harsh  with  the  iobs. 
Daniel  and  John  think  more  of  manure 
patent  and  meadows  than  of  White  Shirts." 

Ruth  passed  between  her  brothers  and 
the  bed  :  "f  Father,  then,  give  you  the 
old  moor  to  Daniel  and  Dinas  to  me. 
A  place  bach  very  nice  for  sheep  is  the 
moor.  Dear  to  goodness,  Matilda  Daniel 
manages  Dinas  wastefully.  Ruffle  you 
not  the  Big  Man  by  holding  Dinas  from 
me." 

This  angered  Daniel  and  he  spat  upon 
Ruth's  face  ;  and  he  said  to  her  :  "  What 
for  you  mess  about  where  there's  no  mess 
to  be,  you  black  white  cat  ?  " 

Ruth  moved  to  the  window  and  peered 
through  the  close  darkness  ;  and  she  saw 
a  light  on  the  floor  and  she  heard  sounds  ; 
and  when  she  had  understood  the  meaning 
of  that  which  she  saw  and  heard,  she  spoke 
to  her  people  : 

"  Great  is  the  moaning  outside,  little 
114 


SONS    OF   THEIR    FATHER 


folk.  The  spirit  Hound  is  at  the  gate  of 
the  close.  Look  you,  too,  the  Corpse  Can- 
dle." She  removed  her  skirt  and  bodice, 
and  she  drew  over  her  the  funeral  gar- 
ments which  she  had  put  on  Essec's  bed. 
She  also  wept,  as  the  manner  is,  saying  : 
"  Father  bach  is  very  dead." 

Having  done  these  things,  she  said  to 
her  brother  Amos  :  "  Sharpen  you  the 
edge  of  the  razor  and  heat  water  will  I, 
for  many  will  come  soon  quickly  to  gaze 
on  the  carcase." 

Daniel  put  his  hand  under  the  clothes 
which  covered  Essec,  and  there  was  not 
any  warmth  left  in  his  father's  body ; 
and  he  said  :  "  Act  like  a  bad  black  you 
have." 

John  turned  to  Amos  :  "An  orphan  bach 
am  I.  Don't  you  pilfer  the  meadow,  now, 
Amos." 

When  Amos  had  shaved  the  face  of 
Essec  his  father  and  placed  his  father's 
hands  on  the  Book  of  Words,  he  knelt  on 
115 


CAPEL   SION 


his  knees  and  closed  his  eyes  and  prayed. 
He  told  the  Lord  how  he  had  wrestled 
with  religious  strength  against  the  un- 
belief of  his  brothers  and  sister,  and 
sought  mercy  that  he  had  not  prevailed  ; 
and  to  the  Lord  he  also  said  that  he  was 
more  religious  than  any  in  the  house  of 
his  father. 


116 


A  MIGHTY  MAN  IN  SION 


117 


IX 

A  MIGHTY  MAN  IN  SION 

Where  the  Tramping  road  goes  out  into 
the  Cardigan  road  you  will  see  Tycornel. 
This  is  the  house  in  which  lived  Ellen 
Pugh,  who  is  buried  in  the  field  that  is 
between  it  and  the  road.  Ellen  had  not 
known  any  man  before  her  age  was  twenty- 
six,  although  her  great  thighs,  and  her 
soft,  flaxen  hair,  and  big  breasts — of  which 
much  could  be  seen  because  her  garments 
were  sewn  ill  together — excited  the  de- 
sires of  many  men.  If  in  the  hayfields  a 
vicious  lover  foxed  her,  or  if.  on  the  way 
home  from  Sion  one  waited  for  her  in  a 
secret  place,  she  always  prevailed  against 
her  adversary  :  the  woman  was  strong 
119 


CAPEL   SION 


and  she  was  proud  of  her  chastity.  She 
fastened  her  door  at  nights,  and  drew  a 
curtain  over  the  window  of  the  room  in 
which  she  slept.  Though  men  came  and 
looked  narrowly,  none  saw  her  with- 
out her  garments. 

One  night  Lias  Carpenter  stood  outside 
Tycornel  and  cried  in  a  loud  voice : 
"  Ellen,  now  indeed  to  goodness,  your 
cows  are  in  my  bit  of  field." 

Having  clothed  herself,  Ellen  opened 
the  door.  "  Sorry  am  I,  Lias  Carpenter," 
she  said.  "  Fetch  the  creatures  will  I 
in  a  hurry." 

"  Wench  fach,  don't  you  trouble  over- 
much.    Male  very  reasonable  am  I." 

"  Iss,  for  sure.  Tarry  you  a  while, 
Lias,  and  drink  a  small  cup  of  tea." 

"  No,  dear  me ;  iss,  dear  me,"  Lias 
answered.     M  Very  good  is  tea  bach." 

Ellen  removed  the  crust  of  coal  and 
clay  which  was  over  the  fire  and  put 
sticks  in  its  place ;  and  as  they  two  ate 
120 


A   MIGHTY    MAN    IN    SION 


and  drank,   Lias  spoke  :    "  Big  is  Matti 
Rhys  Shop." 

"So  I  see,  Lias.  Four  children  has 
Rhys.     Every  year  Matti  is  big." 

"  A  large  one  bach  is  Rhys  for  system. 
Children  you  ought  to  have,  Ellen." 

"  Sober  me,  Lias  Carpenter,  why  for 
you  talk  like  that  ?     Shut  your  lips,  man." 

"  Large  the  families  Boys  Israel  had. 
Tell  words  will  I."  Lias  thanked  the  Big 
Man  for  that  which  he  had  eaten  and 
drunk,  and  turned  to  go  away.  He  said  : 
"  Bring  you  home  your  cow  on  the 
morrow.  Jasto,  not  safe  is  the  bar  on 
your  door." 

"  How  you  speak  ?  " 

"  See  you,  female  fach."  Lias  went 
outside.  On  the  flagstone  he  told  Ellen  to 
close  the  door  and  bar  it.  The  woman 
did  so,  and  then  Lias  gathered  together 
all  his  power  and  broke  the  bar. 

Ellen   was   astonished :     "  Glad    am    I 
that  you  displayed  me  this  weakness." 
121 


CAPEL   SION 


After  Lias  had  put  a  new  bar  on  the 
door,  Ellen  spoke  to  many  people  in  this 
wise  :  "  Neighbour  very  kind  is  Lias 
Carpenter.  And  there's  harmless  he  is. 
Trust  him  I  can  with  me." 

The  people  answered  her  :  "  Trust  not 
your  male  before  you  win  him." 

For  five  nights  Lias  drove  Ellen's  two 
cows  into  his  field,  and  on  four  nights 
he  stood  without  Tycornel,  crying :  "  Wild 
are  your  creatures.  In  Lias's  field  they  are. 
Good-bye,  now."  The  fifth  night  he  en- 
tered the  room  wherein  Ellen  slept,  and 
he  awoke  her  :  "  There  you  are  !  Told 
you  I  have  in  plenty.  Come  I  have  in  the 
rain  to  tell  this,  and  my  trousers  are  wet. 
Touch  you  them  with  your  hand  fach." 

"Well — well,  Lias  Carpenter,"  said  Ellen. 

"  Speech  how  shall  I  dry  them,  woman 
fach  very  fair  ?  " 

"  Talk  you  like  that." 

4 1  Harmless  is  my  spirit, ' '  said  Lias .  "  Close 
your  eyes.  Ach,  put  your  old  private 
122 


A   MIGHTY   MAN   IN   SION 


garments  from  my  sight.  Not  religious  that 
they  pollute  my  eyes."  Thereafter  Lias 
frequented  Tycornel,  whither  he  arrived 
and  quitted  in  darkness  and  away  from 
the  common  track. 

It  came  to  be  that  Ellen  said  to  him  : 
"Boy  bach,  wed  me  you  must." 

"  Speak  will  I  to  mam,"  answered  Lias. 

"  Iss,  do  you  in  a  haste." 

"  Indeed,  speak  will  I.  Fair  day  for 
now." 

Ellen  was  troubled  that  Lias  did  not 
come  any  more  to  Tycornel  and  she 
connived  that  men  and  women  should  not 
discover  her  plight.  She  drew  in  her 
clothes,  and  as  her  size  increased  she 
eased  them ;  her  contrivings  did  not 
withhold  her  state.  Folk  said  to  her : 
"  Many  handfuls  of  gravel  have  been 
thrown  at  your  window.  Whisper  the 
name  of  the  thrower." 

Before  she  delivered  her  child  she 
pleaded  in  the  hearing  of  Lias's  mother 
123 


CAPEL   SION 


Shanni :  "  Woman  fach  without  wicked- 
ness, make  your  son  verify  his  pledge." 

Old  Shanni  answered  angrily :  "  Ho, 
ho  !  And  is  the  bitch  saying  that  Lias 
is  the  father  ?  " 

"  Don't  laugh,  foolish  Shanni.  Serious 
is  affairs." 

Old  Shanni  tightened  her  lips  and  called 
to  her  Lias,  who  had  kept  himself  close  : 
"  The  strumpet  of  Tycornel  says  you 
are  the  father." 

Lias  opened  his  mouth,  and  a  frothy 
spittle  fell  therefrom  upon  his  beard. 
"  Dear  me,"  he  said.     "  Bad  lies  you  talk." 

Unable  to  contain  herself,  Old  Shanni 
spoke  savagely  :  "  Go  you  off,  you  con- 
cubine of  the  big  belly." 

Ellen  bare  a  child  and  she  named  him 
"  Lias,"  and  after  she  was  recovered  fury 
possessed  her  :  she  cried,  as  a  peevish  child 
cries,  on  the  Tramping  road,  and  in  Shop 
Rhys,  and  at  the  Gates  of  Sion  that  Lias 
Carpenter  was  the  father  of  her  infant ; 
124 


A   MIGHTY   MAN   IN   SION 


and  she  would  not  be  quieted,  nor  charge 
any  one  else. 

Her  shoutings  vexed  Lias.  He 
shammed  innocence  before  the  Re- 
spected Bern-Davydd,  to  whom  he 
sacrificed  a  hen,  and  whose  counsel  he 
craved,  lamenting  how  Ellen  pro- 
claimed this  and  that  to  his  discredit. 
Bern-Davydd  ordered  the  woman  to  the 
Seiet,  and  caused  her  to  stand  in  the  Big 
Seat  in  the  face  of  the  congregation  ;  and 
after  the  wily  men  of  the  High  Places 
had  laboured  to  prove  her  with  questions, 
he  lifted  his  voice :  "  Name  the  man 
bach  you  tempted." 

Truly  Ellen  answered. 

"  Sparrow  of  a  pig,  no-no.  A  liar  you 
are.  Very  religious  is  Lias.  "Is  he  not 
in  the  Big  Seat  ?  " 

"  He  was  bad  with  me,"  Ellen  said. 
"  Didn't  I  put  his  trousers  rib  before  the 
fire  ?  " 

Bern-Davydd  interrupted  her :  "  Shut 
125 


CAPEL    SION 


your  head,  you  bull.  "  Senseless  you  are 
to  talk  trousers  rib  in  the  Big  One's 
Capel.  Your  bastard  is  by  old  Satan. 
Congregation,  here's  a  sin.  Shaking  and 
redding  you  are.  Good  that  I  am  here, 
for  am  I  not  the  Big  Man's  son  ?  Lias 
Carpenter,  say  things." 

These  are  the  words  of  Lias  Carpenter : 
"  Dear  people,  stop  you  a  time  bach.  Shed- 
ding tears  am  I,  and  they  are  Salter  than 
the  weepings  of  Mishtress  Lot.  Evil  was  she, 
but  boy  very  pious  was  Lot.  Changed  was 
she  into  a  rock  of  salt ;  a  rock  bigger  than 
the  biggest  in  Shop  Rhys.  Let  out  tears 
will  I  this  minute."  Lias  wept.  "  Look 
you  on  the  marks  of  the  tears  on  my 
whiskers.  So — ho,  the  wench  says  :  '  Lias 
Carpenter  was  naughty  with  me.'  No, 
dear  me.  Am  I  not  full  of  the  White 
Jesus  bach  ?  A  carpenter  was  the  Big 
Jesus.  He  made  coffins.  Iss,  people  bach, 
religious  is  the  male  that  makes  coffins. 
Wise  is  the  Respected.  He  said  :  l  The 
126 


A  MIGHTY   MAN   IN   SION 


Bad  Man  is  the  father  of  your  hog.'  Does 
Ellen  not  bolt  her  door  and  her  window  ? 
Thick  is  the  bolt  I  put  on  her  door.  Can 
a  man  walk  through  a  door  ?  Can  a 
perished  corpse  come  out  of  a  screwed 
down  coffin  ?  Boys  evil  there  are  who  die 
and  wish  to  live.  Sinners  they  are.  That 
is  why  we  use  big  screws,  little  folk. 
Ask  you  their  length  in  Shop  Rhys.  Like 
would  I  now  to  hear  the  Respected  report." 

Bern-Davydd  acquainted  God  with  the 
perfidy  of  Ellen  Pugh,  and  God  gave  him  ter- 
rible words  with  which  to  scourge  the  woman. 

Ellen  was  broken  out  of  the  Seiet. 
Even  so,  her  rage  against  Lias  did 
not  abate  one  jot.  She  invented  means 
to  bring  misery  upon  him :  she  pre- 
tended goodwill  and  helped  him  to  gather 
in  his  wheat  and  at  the  finish  of  the 
day  went  into  his  bed,  but  Lias  would 
not  sin  with  her.  She  stole  secretly  into 
his  house  and  placed  stones  in  the  midst 
of  Shanni's  butter,  insomuch  that  this 
127 


CAPEL   SION 


became  a  proverb  in  the  market-place 
of  Castellybryn  :  "  Say  how  much  your 
butter  weighs  without  the  stones  ?  "  She 
opened  the  gates  of  his  fields  and  set 
his  cattle  astray,  and  she  maimed  his 
horse  to  its  death.  All  these  acts  and 
more  she  did  in  her  hatred  against  Lias 
Carpenter. 

At  the  age  of  forty-five  Ellen  was  as  one 
whose  years  are  seventy:  her  teeth  were  fallen 
out,  there  were  sores  on  her  legs — sores 
which  dampened  and  stiffened  her  stock- 
ings, her  hair  was  grey  and  clotted  with 
many  sorts  of  residue.  She  grew  weary,  and 
complained  that  the  day  was  too  long  and 
the  night  too  short.  A  hope  came  over  her 
that  Death  was  near,  and  a  fear  that  she 
would  be  buried  in  the  same  burial  ground 
as  Lias  Carpenter.  She  said  to  her  son 
Lias  Small :  "  Perishing  is  your  mam, 
boy  bach.  When  I  am  dead,  don't  you  say 
to  any  one  :  c  Come  and  put  a  White  Shirt 
on  mam.'  Dig  you  a  grave  in  the  field, 
128 


A   MIGHTY   MAN   IN   SION 


and  bind  me  with  sacks,  and  bury  me  there 
in  the  darkness.  Hap  I  shall  hear  the 
Trumpet  before  Capel  Sion.  Goodness 
everybody,  there's  things  I  shall  speech 
to  the  Big  Man  about  Lias." 

Ellen  died  and  her  son  bound  her  with 
sacks  and  buried  her  in  the  field.  Then 
he  became  frightened  and  he  ran  this  way 
and  that  way  in  his  confusion  and  he  told 
every  one  whom  he  met  that  which  his 
mother  had  said  to  him  and  that  which 
he  had  done.  Lias  Carpenter  heard 
his  sayings  and  went  to  the  owner  of 
the  field  and  bought  it ;  and  he  built 
a  hedge  on  all  sides  of  it  so  that  none 
should  trespass  in  it.  Moreover  he  raised 
a  pulpit  of  wood  near  to  the  place  under 
which  Ellen  lies ;  for  he  too  shall  be 
buried  in  the  field,  and  at  the  first 
sound  of  the  Trumpet  he  will  arise  and 
go  up  into  the  pulpit  and  he  will  warn 
the  Big  Man  that  Ellen  Pugh  was  with- 
out a  name  in  Sion. 
K  129 


A  SACRIFICE  UNTO   SION 


131 


X 

A  SACRIFICE  UNTO  SION 

Ty'r  Pechadur — meaning  the  House 
of  the  Sinner — is  at  the  end  of  the  narrow 
way  which  is  between  the  new  and  the 
old  burial  grounds  of  Capel  Sion.  It  is 
named  thus  because  Grim  Wernddu  died 
in  it  and  because  the  Bad  Man  came  up 
to  it  and  hid  in  the  belly  of  a  pig,  in  that 
form  imagining  that  he  would  go  in  and 
defile  Sion.  The  Bad  Man  moreover  left 
his  marks   on  Griffi's  body. 

Grim  lived  to  an  old  age,  and  though 
he  was  full  of  religion  and  obeyed  the 
pulpit  in  all  its  commands,  he  offended 
awfully  in  his  death ;  and  as  is  the 
custom  with  those  whose  souls  go  down 
133 


CAPEL   SION 


into  the  Fiery  Pool,  Griffi's  body  was 
not  enclosed  in  a  White  Shirt  and  it 
was  buried  in  the  land  which  is  at  the 
forehead  of  the  Capel,  and  upon  which 
the  congregation  perform  privily  before 
entering  Sion. 

At  the  time  of  his  prime  Griffi  was  one 
of  esteem  and  consequence.  He  had  a 
place  in  the  Big  Seat  and  he  held  the 
office  of  the  Teller  of  Things.  He  dwelt 
in  Wernddu,  the  farm  whose  fields  are 
on  this  side  and  that  side  of  Avon  Bern. 
He  prospered  by  the  diligence  of  his 
wife  Betti,  who  laboured  until  the  mem- 
bers of  her  body  were  without  feeling. 
In  the  mean  season  Betti  bore  eight 
children,  and  of  the  eight  one  grew  into 
manhood,  and  he  was  named  "  Dewi "  ; 
and  it  was  that  at  the  age  of  sixty-five 
a  pain  caused  Betti's  wasted  breasts  to 
swell,  and  the  woman  died.  Whereat 
Griffi  endured  much  misery,  for  he  had  a 
great  regard  for  the  gains  of  his  wife, 
134 


A   SACRIFICE   UNTO    SION 


and  he  sighed  that  he  could  not  get 
another  woman  to  serve  as  Betti  had 
served.  After  a  year  was  over  and  he 
had  put  away  his  grief,  a  man  came  to 
him  saying  :  "  Now — now,  Grim  Wernddu, 
give  you  me  the  portion  bach,  dear  me, 
of  the  mortgage  that  is  due."  Griffi 
and  his  son  Dewi  and  his  woman  servant 
drove  two  milching  cows  and  a  heifer 
to  the  fair.  The  next  year  he  was  con- 
strained to  sell  more  of  his  cattle,  and 
the  money  which  he  got  for  them  was 
not  enough  to  pay  all  the  people  to 
whom  he  was  bound.  His  straits  was 
sounded  abroad ;  people  pointed  their 
fingers  at  him  and  nodded  their  heads, 
speaking  in  this  sort :  "  An  old  rotten 
one  is  the  black.  Not  a  brown  penny 
has  he  now  that  Betti  is  perished." 

Presently    Dewi    reached     an     age    of 

knowledge,    and    when  he  looked    about 

him   and   considered   how   the   land   was 

barren   from   long   neglect   and   how   the 

135 


CAPEL   SION 


fewness  of  his  father's  cattle  was  a  by- 
word, he  was  very  concerned,  and  spoke  to 
Griffi  his  father  :  "  Having  gone  very  bad 
is  the  farm  fach.     Say  a  talk." 

"Trying  me  is  the  Big  Man,"  Griffi 
answered.  "  Loss  indeed,  Dewi,  was  the 
going  of  your  mam  fach." 

"  A  person  listless  you  are,  little 
father,"  said  Dewi.  "  Why  for  you  don't 
work  ?  Look  you  at  me.  Do  I  not  toil 
every  one  minute  ?  Must  we  hire  a  man- 
servant ?  " 

"  Sense  that  will  be,"  replied  Griffi. 
"  An  old  man  bach  am  I." 

"  There's  a  large  wage  he  will  want." 

"  Iss — iss.  Much  white  money  he  will 
ask.  Buy  trousers  rib  will  I  to-morrow 
for  to  work  with  you." 

But  Griffi  did  not  help  his  son  to  till 
the  land ;  he  wore  his  cloth  garments 
every  day,  and  on  such  occasions  as  he 
was  not  in  far-away  Capels  hearing  the 
Word  preached,  he  discussed  the  meaning 
136 


A   SACRIFICE   UNTO   SION 


of  this  and  that  religious  problem  on  the 
Tramping  way  or  in  Shop  Rhys. 

For  a  long  spell  Dewi  laboured  as  though 
his  father  was  dead.  But  one  night  he 
said  to  him  :  "  Carting  in  potatoes  am  I 
the  next  day.     Come  you  and  help." 

"  No,  now,"  Grim  answered.  "  Are 
there  not  big  preachings  in  Castellybryn  ? 
Going  am  I  there." 

1 '  Dull  you  are, ' '  said  Dewi .  * t  Move  you, 
now." 

"  Does  not  the  little  Evangel  come 
before  all  ?  Not  right  that  the  father 
be  a  servant  to  his  son." 

As  soon  as  night  was  over,  Dewi  said 
to  his  father  :  "  Lift,  man,  and  come  and 
cart  potatoes." 

Grim  closed  his  eyes  :  "A  rascal  of  a 
son  have  I  got,  Big  Man." 

Dewi  went  out,  and  he  returned  with 

a  thickish  stick  with  which  he  punished 

his  father,  and  screeched  Grim  never  so  loud, 

Dewi  did  not  stop  until  he  was  weary  ;  and 

137 


CAPEL   SION 


his  enmity  against  his  father  never 
lessened. 

Now  as  Wernddu  became  fruitful  and  pro- 
fitable, Griffi  grew  feeble  and  spiritless.  If 
he  rested  in  his  labour,  Dewi  would  kick 
him  and  speak  spitefully  to  him.  In  the 
heat  of  a  certain  day,  Grim  uttered  a 
doleful  cry  and  fell  between  the  handles 
of  the  plough  he  was  guiding,  and  he  re- 
mained in  that  wise  until  the  hour  of 
the  midday  meal.  Dewi  came  into  the 
field  and  took  away  the  rope  upon 
which  Griffi  had  fallen  and  unharnessed 
the  horses,  saying  :  "A  bad  boy  is  the 
fool ;  iss — iss.  Animals  bach,  hungry 
you  are."  He  took  the  horses  into  the 
stable,  and  on  the  way  thereto  he  gave 
them  water  to  drink  and  in  the  stable  he 
served  them  generously  of  food ;  when  he 
had  eaten,  he  returned  to  the  field  and 
awakened  Griffi  into  consciousness. 

That  day  Dewi  communed  with  him- 
self: "Six  years  have  I  tilled  Wernddu, 
138 


A   SACRIFICE   UNTO   SION 


and  there's  hard  have  I  worked.  And  my 
earnings  are  not  half  a  hundred  sovereigns. 
Lazy  mule  is  old  father.  God,  indeed, 
now,  why  did  you  take  mam  first?  A 
grand  labourer  was  the  female."  Imme- 
diately he  went  into  the  room  in  which 
Griffi  was,  and  said  :  "  Father,  go  away 
from  Wernddu  must  you." 

"  What  is  your  saying  ?  "  replied  Griffi. 
"  All  right  am  I." 

"  No — no,  man.  Heavy  you  drag  on 
the  farm.     Make  you  to  go  off." 

Griffi  entreated  :  "  Let  you  me  remain 
here  in  my  house,  boy  nice." 

Dewi  did  not  listen  to  his  father ;  he  rented 
the  straw-thatched,  one-roomed  cottage 
which  is  now  named  Ty'r  Pechadur,  and 
he  put  in  it  a  bed,  a  table,  and  a  chair,  and 
he  planned  to  give  Griffi  sixpence  a  week 
and  a  little  milk  and  cheese.  But  Griffi 
would  not  leave  his  bed,  and  he  com- 
plained that  the  sickness  which  had  felled 
him  was  still  upon  him.  Dewi  took 
139 


CAPEL    SION 


him  down  from  his  bed,  and  put  him 
in  a  cart  and  drove  him  to  the  cot- 
tage. 

So  it  was  that  Grim  was  cheapened 
in  the  eyes  of  Sion  :  none  bid  him  to 
pray  or  to  bear  testimony  in  the  Seiet ; 
and  to  another  was  given  his  place  in 
the  Big  Seat  and  also  his  office.  The 
congregation  scorned  his  plight,  and  Bern- 
Da  vydd  cried  out  his  name  because  of  the 
poorness  of  his  sacrifices.  He  became 
ashamed  of  the  harm  which  was  done 
against  him  ;  and  he  prayed  that  Bern- 
Davy  dd  and  God  would  show  forgiveness 
unto  him.  Neither  attended  him.  He  prayed 
for  a  manna  of  two  sovereigns.  He  said  : 
"  Large  Lord,  do  this  for  me  and  all  the 
yellow  sovereigns  bach  shall  I  not  give 
them  to  your  son  in  Sion  ?  Be  with  the 
Preacher  nice.  Amen."  He  prayed  that 
prayer  on  five  occasions,  and  each  night 
he  opened  his  ears  so  that  he  could  hear 
God's  footsteps  and  he  closed  his  eyes 
140 


A   SACRIFICE   UNTO   SION 


because  it  is  spoken  in  Sion  that  only 
the  religious  can  see  the  face  of  God. 

As  God  did  not  take  any  heed,  he  went  in 
the  night  to  Wernddu  ;  at  the  gate  of 
the  close  he  paused.  "  Big  Man  bach," 
he  said,  "  many  prizes  have  I  asked 
you,  and  you  gave  me  nothing.  A  son 
of  Capel  Sion  am  I.  Did  I  not  Tell  the 
Things  ?  Come  with  me  now.  Keep  by 
me.  An  angry  boy  is  Dewi.  Be  with 
your  son  in  Sion.  Amen.  Amen.  And 
Amen,  Big  Man." 

He  drew  his  clogs  from  his  feet  and  walked 
up  to  the  pigsty  and  lifted  therefrom  a 
pig ;  and  the  pig  he  hid  in  his  bed ;  and 
he  praised  the  Lord  very  much. 

Wherefore  Griffi  cloaked  his  gladness, 
and  ceased  to  pray.  By  and  by  a  horrid 
fear  seized  him :  he  had  nothing  with 
which  to  feed  the  pig.  He  contrived 
means  and  shifts  ;  he  locked  the  door  so 
that  his  son,  who  was  bemoaning  the  loss 
of  the  pig,  should  not  enter  his  house,  and 
141 


CAPEL    SION 


he  crept  into  outhouses  and  gardens  and 
stole  potatoes  and  carrots.  But  the  man's 
heart  was  faint,  and  he  gathered  little  ;  yet 
all  that  he  had  he  gave  to  the  pig,  and 
the  animal  did  not  thrive. 

There  came  a  day  when  he  closed  his 
door  and  tried  to  go  upon  his  bed,  and 
he  could  not ;  the  hour  of  his  travail 
was  come :  the  sickness  of  Death  was 
on  him,  and  all  his  strength  was  depart- 
ing from  him. 

Three  days  passed,  and  Bertha  Daviss 
came  to  his  door,  crying  :  "  Griffi,  now, 
indeed  to  goodness,  pulling  potatoes  am 
I  the  next  to-morrow.  Come  you  and 
help  a  poor  woman." 

Bertha  cried  out  several  times  before 
she  heard  sounds  within  the  house,  and 
made  her  afraid ;  and  she  ran  hard  into 
the  Meeting  for  Prayer.  "  People,  people," 
she  said,  "  the  Bad  Man  and  his  satans  are 
in  Griffi's  abode." 

The   congregation   moved  as  one  man 
142 


A   SACRIFICE    UNTO    SION 


and  hurried  thither.  They  also  shouted 
outside  the  door,  and  as  none  answered 
from  within  the  stalwart  men  pushed 
with  much  force  and  broke  a  way  through 
the  door,  and  the  pig  fled  thereby  into 
the  old  burial  ground.  When  Bern- 
Davydd  saw  this,  he  spoke  in  a  big  voice  : 
"  Run,  you  blockheads.  The  swine  is 
going  into  Sion." 

The  congregation  did  in  accordance 
with  Bern-Da  vydd's  word,  and  the  fleetest 
among  them  was  Dewi,  who  grasped  the 
pig  at  the  door  of  the  Capel,  and  lifted 
it  in  his  arms,  saying  :  "  This  is  my  prodi- 
gal pig  bach  which  was  lost  and  found 
again.     There's  thin  he  is,  dear  me." 

After  they  had  viewed  the  pig,  the 
people  went  into  the  house  ;  and  some  of 
them  raised  Grifii  from  the  floor  and  put 
him  on  his  bed  ;  and  they  all  beheld  the 
wounds  which  were  in  his  body. 


143 


THE  DELIVERER 


145 


XI 

THE  DELIVERER 

Although  Job  Stallion  was  instructive 
in  prayer  and  joyous  in  song,  he  was 
without  esteem  in  Sion.  The  place  of 
his  abode  was  Cwmcoed,  which  is  on  the 
land  that  rises  from  the  other  side  of 
Avon  Bern,  and  the  name  of  his  mother 
was  Peggi ;  and  they  two  had  a  maid- 
servant whose  name  was  Hetti.  Job 
searched  among  the  women  of  Sion  and 
among  the  women  who  frequented  the 
fairs  of  Castellybryn  for  a  wife  who  would 
free  Cwmcoed  from  the  mortgage  which 
Amos  Penparc  held  upon  it ;  of  the 
daughters  of  Sion  and  of  the  women  who 
went  to  the  fairs  none  would  wed  him 
147 


CAPEL    SION 


because  all  had  knowledge  of  his  state. 
This  also  was  spoken  :  "  Hetti  is  breaking 
her  hire.     Thick  is  the  wench  by  Job." 

One  day  Amos  came  to  Cwmcoed. 
Peggi  saw  him  from  a  long  way  off,  and 
she  shouted  to  Job  :  "  The  old  scamp 
Amos  is  after  yellow  money." 

Job  joined  Amos  in  the  lower  field, 
and  he  was  moved  to  say  to  him  :  "  Like 
the  happy  Apostle,  indeed,  man,  who 
walked  with  the  White  Jesus,  I  feel." 

Amos  gave  no  understanding  to  Job's 
words,  and  he  said  :  "  Speech  have  I  for 
you,  Job  Cwmcoed." 

"  Well-well,  now  ?  " 

"  Wounded  am  I  to  speak.  That 
smallish  bit  of  money.  Job,  dear  me, 
repay  you  the  yellow  ones." 

"  Not  meaning  you  was  ;  say  you  now," 
said  Job. 

"  Why    for   you   speak   lightly  ?  "    an- 
swered Amos.     "  In  mouthing  does    not 
my  neck  get  dumb  ?  " 
148 


THE   DELIVERER 


"Ho,  ho.     Thus,  indeed,  then." 
"  Old  money  must  I  have,  Job." 
"  Give  money  I  would  if  I  had  him." 
Job  cried  to  his  mother  Peggi :    "  Seri- 
ous, old  mam,    Amos   Penparc  wants  his 
money." 

There  was  much  earth  in  the  crevices 
of  Peggi 's  face,  and  her  body  was  bent 
from  service  on  the  land,  and  she  shivered 
when  she  heard  the  words  of  her  son  : 
she  seemed  like  a  sapless  tree  which 
harbours  every  refuse  that  the  wind  blows. 
"  Solemn  is  this,"  she  said.  "  Sell  the 
stallion  bach  you  must,  Job." 

"  Religious  you  speak,  little  woman," 
answered  Amos.  "  Does  not  the  Book 
of  Words  say  to  us  to  pay  our  debts  ? 
There's  bad  would  I  be  to  speak  to 
Daniel  Auctions  :  '  Go,  sell  Cwmcoed  '." 
Job  was  enraged  with  his  mother  that 
she  had  borrowed  money  from  Amos 
Penparc,  and  he  told  her  that  her 
life  was  a  heavy  load  upon  him.  Peggy  was 
149 


CAPEL    SION 


too  old  to  weep  :  she  made  yowling  sounds. 

In  the  evening  she  craved  Job's  for- 
giveness. "  Woe  to  us,"  she  moaned, 
"  that  we  are  on  top  of  Amos's  old  finger." 

Job  was  aroused  out  of  his  sluggishness, 
for  he  was  in  narrow  straits,  and  he  medi- 
tated :  he  planned  to  go  to  the  Market  of 
Carmarthen,  where  he  was  a  stranger,  to 
seek  a  wife  among  the  women  who  gathered 
there.  Hence  the  sixth  day,  which  was 
the  Day  of  the  Market,  he  made  himself 
to  appear  gay  :  he  clothed  himself  grandly 
in  cloth  garments,  and  he  covered  his 
crooked  legs  with  cloth  leggings ;  he  combed 
the  hairs  which  were  on  his  cheeks,  and 
he  put  a  bowler  hat  on  his  head. 

Then  he  ordered  Peggi  to  saddle 
for  him  the  pony  and  to  bring  the  animal 
to  the  gate  of  the  close.  Peggi  did  ac- 
cordingly ;  and  when  he  was  on  the  pony, 
she  spoke  :  "  Don't  you  now,  heart  bach, 
be  tempted  by  a  bad  girl  on  account  of 
her  looks.  Beware  of  fair  women.  Go 
150 


THE   DELIVERER 


court  a  wench  whose  nice  purse  is  as  big 
as  a  fatted  bullock's  belly." 

"  Spout  like  a  bull  you  do,"  Job  an- 
swered. "  What  is  the  matter  with  the 
root  of  your  tongue  ?  Why  don't  you 
clap  up  the  backhead  of  your  neck  ?  " 

"  Close  you  must,  Job  bach,"  Peggi 
persisted.  "  Shall  the  cow  Amos  take 
away  our  farm  ?  " 

"  Hie  off,"  said  Job,  "  and  suck  your 
toes." 

Job  rode  away ;  and  on  his  journey 
he  fixed  his  mind :  if  Cwmcoed  were 
taken  from  him  he  would  be  called  a  fool 
in  Sion.  Sell  the  stallion  bach  he  could, 
but  the  cost  would  not  pay  all  of  that 
which  was  borrowed  from  Amos.  Did 
not  the  red  mackerel  say  :  "  Glad  am  I  to 
lend  you  money,  Peggi  fach  ?  "  Dear  me 
to  goodness,  what  a  black  the  old  snail  was. 
Tight,  dear  me,  was  Amos.  Good,  now, 
if  Jesus  bach  smote  him  with  a  flame  of 
fire  like  He  did  the  Unitarian  infidel  in 
151 


CAPEL    SION 


Castellybryn.  Job  also  explained  to  the 
Lord  how  that  the  borrower  should 
be  the  payer  ;  how  that  Cwmcoed  and 
all  the  land  thereto,  and  all  that  was 
in  the  land  and  on  it  was  his  if  Peggi 
took  wing. 

Outside  Shop  Llewellyn  Shones  he 
magnified  his  holdings  in  the  presence 
of  Enoch  Boncath — a  man  of  twenty-five 
heads  of  cattle  and  one  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  of  good  land — and  after  he 
had  boasted  for  a  long  while  he  said  : 
"  Misther  Enoch  bach,  say  you  what  now 
if  I  looked  merry  on  your  female  daughter 
Ann." 

Misther  Enoch  was  unfamiliar  with 
Troedf awr  and  the  land  and  the  people  in 
that  neighbourhood,  and  inasmuch  as  Ann 
was  stricken  by  the  disease  king's  evil,  he 
replied  :  "  Open  your  throat  to  the  damsel. 
Go  now  to  the  House  of  the  Market  and 
say  to  her :  '  Talked  have  I  to  your 
father.'  " 

152 


THE   DELIVERER 


Job  came  down  to  Ann,  who  was  sitting 
on  the  ground ;  her  legs  were  crossed,  as 
a  tailor  crosses  his  legs,  and  her  outer 
skirt,  which  was  of  black  cloth,  was  drawn 
up  so  that  she  sat  on  her  scarlet  flannel 
petticoat ;  and  before  her  was  a  tub  of 
butter.  Her  right  cheek  was  marked  by 
the  malady  which  was  upon  it,  and 
around  her  neck  she  had  a  band  of 
calico  which  was  wet  with  the  moisture 
that  drained  from  her  wound. 

"  In  private  I  will  counsel  in  your  ears, 
Ann  Boncath,"  said  Job. 

"  Comic  one  you  are,  man,"  replied 
Ann.     "  Speak  for  what." 

A  toothless  woman,  who  sat  by  Ann, 
spoke :  "  Very  quiet  the  stable  of  the 
Red  Cow  is,  indeed  to  goodness." 

A  dealer  drove  his  testing  scoop  into 
Ann's  butter,  and  he  bought  it.  Ann  rose, 
and  as  she  passed  away  the  toothless 
woman  said  :  "  Give  the  wench  one  of 
rocks  Mari." 

153 


CAPEL   SION 


Job  took  Ann  up  to  Mari  Rocks,  and 
he  purchased  for  her  a  sweetmeat,  and 
as  the  custom  is,  Ann  did  likewise  for 
him  ;  and  the  people  around  and  about 
observed  that  which  was  done,  and  re- 
marked :  "  Boy  bach,  great  shall  be  your 
courting  this  night."  To  Ann  they  said  : 
"  Very  catching  now  is  king's  evil." 

They  two  walked  out  of  the  town 
and  into  a  field.  Presently  Job  said  :  "  I 
will  go  and  make  a  league  with  Misther 
Enoch  your  father." 

And  Job  passed  into  the  town  to 
make  a  league  with  Ann's  father,  and  after 
he  had  said  many  pleasing  words,  he  said 
this  of  himself :  "  Wonderful  is  my  re- 
ligious fame  in  Sion.  Honouring  your 
girl  am   I    to  take  her  into   Cwmcoed." 

"  Glad  is  your  speech,  boy  bach,"  re- 
plied Misther  Enoch.  "  Yet  now  just 
not  no  nor  yea  can  I  say.  Come  will  I 
and  spy  over  Cwmcoed." 

At  the  middle  of  the  next  day  Job  came 
154 


THE   DELIVERER 


home  and  he  told  his  mother  everything. 
Peggi's  mind  cherished  vengeance ;  she 
gazed  across  the  valley  to  the  parcel  of 
trees  in  the  midst  of  which  is  Penparc ;  and 
her  sight  tried  to  pierce  the  mist  which 
covered  the  Hills  of  Boncath,  from  whence 
was  to  come  her  deliverer.  She  petted 
Job,  for  she  knew  that  he  had  established 
his  right  to  Ann ;  and  she  served  him 
with  broth  and  pancakes  ;  and  Job,  having 
eaten  his  fill,  slept.  She  designed  to  go 
to  Penparc  and  say  slyly  to  Amos  : 
"  Here,  male  bach,  is  your  ugly  money. 
Take  you  the  small  sum  :  hap  you  want 
him  largely.  Sorry  I  am  you  are 
so  poor.  May  he  give  you  a  yellow 
heart.  Horrible  were  the  words  of  the 
Big  Man  about  the   Calf  of  Gold." 

She  designed  further :  on  the  coming  of 
Ann  she  would  go  into  Shop  Rhys  and  buy 
soap,  and  she  would  clean  herself  with 
soap  and  water  and  rest  from  toil.  She 
would  name  herself  headwoman  of  Cwm- 
155 


CAPEL    SION 


coed — the  mistress  would  say  to  Ann  : 
"  Do  you  this  "  and  "  Do  you  that,"  and 
Ann  should  be  as  a  servant  in  her  house. 

In  the  folly  of  her  gladness,  she  showed 
malice  against  Hetti :  "  Move  your  heavy 
body,  you  large  trollop." 

"  Peggi,  dear  me,"  said  Hetti.  "  This 
one  minute,  do  I  not  suffer  pains  then  ? 
An  old  child  bach  is  about  to  come." 

The  words  incensed  Peggi  :  "  Sober 
me,  why  for  you  did  not  say  you  were 
thick  ?  Run  you  home,  you  nasty  harlot. 
Is  not  Enoch  Boncath  and  his  daughter 
Ann  coming  on  the  sixth  day  to  view  the 
land  ?  " 

Hetti  excited  her  spirit :  "  And  say 
to  Ann  Boncath  will  I  that  this  is  Job's 
child." 

Old  Peggi  was  dispirited  that  moment, 
and  she  feared  for  her  schemes.  She  tore 
out  from  a  hedge  two  slight  twigs,  which  she 
coupled  together,  and  with  which  she  pun- 
ished the  servant  woman.  Hetti  fell  forward, 
156 


THE   DELIVERER 


whereupon  Peggi  raised  the  maid's  garments 
and  beat  the  flesh  of  her  body. 

At  first  Hetti  made  a  great  noise, 
then  she  became  silent,  and  Peggi  knew 
that  there  was  no  more  spite  left  in  her. 

Her  body  grievous,  Hetti  walked  out 
and  up  into  the  loft  which  is  over  the 
stable  and  gave  birth  to  a  child.  The 
afternoon  of  the  second  day  she  returned 
to  the  living  house,  and  she  looked  oddly 
as  she  held  up  her  infant  before  Peggi 's 
eyes.  "  Peggi,  the  female  fach,"  she  said, 
"  who  is  this  that  has  come  from  Edom  ?  " 

Thuswise  Peggi  was  consoled  that  the 
Lord  had  not  deserted  her.  She  said 
to  herself :  "  Very  tidy  is  the  little  Big 
One  to  His  children  bach."  To  Hetti  she 
said  :  "  Mad  you  are,  the  wicked  animal. 
Go  you  away." 

Hetti  bared  her  bosom  and  pressed  her 

child's  head  against  her  breast ;    and  in 

that  fashion  she  walked  along  the  Roman 

road  and  over  the  heather  to  her  mother's 

157 


CAPEL    SION 


house — which  is  on  the  top  of  the  hill 
that  goes  down  into  Morfa.  She  did  not 
harass  either  Peggi  or  Job  afterwards. 

On  the  sixth  day  Enoch  Boncath 
arrived  to  search  out  the  land  and  to 
establish  by  questions  that  Job  had  not 
exalted  anything  ;  and  to  all  his  questions 
Peggi  devised  deceitful  answers  ;  and  Job 
moreover  showed  him  fat  pasture  that 
was  beyond  the  boundary  of  Cwmcoed, 
saying  :  "  Iss — iss,  that  is  our  land,  boy 
bach."  But  Enoch  was  cunning  and  he 
inquired  of  strangers  ;  one  answered  him  : 
"  Job,  dear  me,  is  a  tardy  old  sow.  All, 
look  you,  his  land  is  wasted.  And  does 
not  Peggi  owe  much  yellow  money  to 
Amos  Penparc  ?  "  Enoch  pondered  the 
sayings  which  were  told  him  for  ten 
days,  and  then  he  came  to  Cwmcoed  to 
speak  abusively.  Having  delivered  his 
speech,  he  said :  "  Send  Sheremia  Polis 
Boncath  I  will  after  you." 

Job  strengthened  his  spirit  and  feigned 
158 


THE   DELIVERER 


anger.  He  said :  "  Male  out  of  his 
head  are  you ;     and  there's  a  scamp." 

"  Iss,  for  sure  me,"  said  Peggi.  "  Be- 
have you  do  like  a  colt." 

"  Count  the  days  you  can,"  said 
Job,  "  that  Ann  will  display  her  thick- 
ness." 

"  Out  of  sin  has  come  the  disease  of 
your  wench,"  cried  Peggi.  "Did  not  Job 
wash  his  body  when  he  came  home  ?  " 

"  Dark  is  your  talk,"  Enoch  said.  "  The 
damsel  fach  is  all  right." 

Enoch  journeyed  home,  and  on  his  way 
he  thought  on  the  sayings  of  Peggi  and 
Job ;  and  every  day  he  said  this  to  Ann  : 
"  How  you  was  ?  " 

"  So  and  so  are  things  with  me,  father 
bach,"  Ann  at  last  answered  him. 

"  Well— well,  bad  black  is  Job  Stallion." 
Enoch  came  out  of  his  house ;  he  told 
no  one  of  the  place  whither  he  was  bound, 
and  so  that  none  could  imagine  his  pur- 
pose he  walked  through  field  paths  and 
159 


CAPEL   SION 


lanes.  He  reached  Cwmcoed  at  the  milk- 
ing hour. 

"  Come  have  I  yet  again,"  he  said. 

"  My  boy  bach  has  turned  his  mind," 
said  Peggi,  "  and  he  is  throwing  gravel 
indeed  at  the  window  of  a  fine  ladi.  Male 
frolicsome  is  Job." 

"  Say  you  like  that,"  said  Enoch.  "  Sad 
am  I  that  I  spoke  quickly  to  you.  Ann 
wants  to  wed  Job." 

"  What  for  does  Job  need  an  unhealthy 
wench  ?  No — no,  man.  Go  home,  Enoch 
Boncath  :  busy  am  I  preparing  for  the 
marriage." 

"  Woman  fach,"  Enoch  said,  "  be  not 
hard  now.  Ten  yellow  sovereigns  and 
six  cheeses  will  Ann  bring  with  her." 

"  Empty  is  your  voice,"  said  Peggi. 

"  And  there's  a  one  she  is  for  making 
butter." 

"  Good-bye,  Enoch  Boncath,  and  good- 
bye to  your  thick  Ann." 

"  Fifteen  yellow  sovereigns  will  Ann 
160 


THE   DELIVERER 


bring  with  her,  and  a  waggon-load  of  hay." 

"  Three  hundred  is  the  number  of  yellow 
sovereigns  that  Job  will  get  with  his 
wench,"  said  Peggi. 

Job  entered  the  milk  shed ;  his  mother 
said  to  him  :  "  Old  Enoch  Boncath  is  here. 
There's  a  big  pleader  he  is,  for  sure  me." 

"  Waggle  your  tongue,"  said  Job. 

"  One  very  high  you  are  in  Sion,  Job 
Cwmcoed,"  said  Enoch.  "Be  you  re- 
ligious and  take  Ann  my  female  daughter." 

Job  and  Peggi  goaded  Enoch  so  that 
he  became  as  one  who  is  drunk ;  and 
it  came  to  be  that  Ann  settled  in  Cwm- 
coed and  her  marriage  dowry  was  two 
hundred  sovereigns,  a  cow  in  calf  and  a 
heifer,  a  plough,  a  bed,  and  a  load  of 
hay  ;  and  when  she  was  settled  she  saw 
that  the  land  was  indeed  barren  by 
neglect  and  that  rust  was  on  many  of 
the  implements.  As  the  time  of  the 
birth  of  her  child  came  near,  her  malady 
grew  worse  and  it  ruffled  her  temper, 
M  161 


CAPEL   SION 


and  she  hated  Peggi  and  Job  because 
of  their  guile. 

"  Get  up,  you  hare  of  the  Fiery  Pool," 
she  cried  to  Peggi  in  the  darkness  before 
the  dawn. 

"  No — no.  The  dawn  is  not  grey  yet," 
Peggi  whimpered. 

Ann  removed  the  cloths  which  covered 
her  mother-in-law  and  dragged  her  down 
from  the  bed. 

The  old  woman  rose  from  the  ground  : 
"  Headwoman  am  I.  Go  out  and  labour, 
you  concubine." 

Ann  gave  no  mind  to  Peggi's  words ; 
but  she  reviled  Job  because  of  her. 

"  A  rotten  old  woman  is  my  mam,"  said 
Job. 

Howsoever  Peggi  contrived,  she  did  not 
become  the  headwoman  of  Cwmcoed  ;  she 
was  made  to  labour  in  the  outhouses  and 
on  the  land,  to  sleep  on  a  straw  mattress 
in  the  straw  loft ;  she  never  changed  her 
garments,  and  earth  and  dung  fastened 
162 


THE    DELIVERER 


to  the  material  thereof  like  sun-dried  clay. 
She  clung  to  her  life  through  the  summer 
and  the  autumn  of  the  year  ;  in  the  winter 
she  lost  it  and  was  buried  in  the  burial 
ground  of  Capel  Sion ;  and  in  her  agony 
there  was  none  to  comfort  her  or  to  minis- 
ter unto  her.  Job  also  Ann  forced  to 
labour  all  the  light  hours  ;  and  though  he 
murmured  against  her  tyranny,  he  obeyed 
her  in  all  things.  In  his  perplexity  he 
plotted  mischief  against  her,  and  plotted 
he  never  so  constant,  Ann  would  not 
abate  any  of  the  rigour  of  her  dealings 
with  him.  He  was  as  a  hired  man  in  Sion, 
and  without  dignity  in  his  house.  His 
state  vexed  him  greatly.  He  brooded  over 
Ann's  harshness,  and  he  planned  a  scheme 
by  which  he  would  win  an  advantage 
over  his  wife  :  he  dampened  the  feather 
bed  on  which  she  slept.  Having  done 
that,  he  said :  "I  shall  not  lie  with 
you  any  more,  for  your  disease 
stinks." 

168 


CAPEL    SION 


He  dampened  the  bed  many  times, 
and  the  day  came  that  Ann  went  up  to 
her  bed  to  be  delivered  of  her  third  child. 
She  became  very  sick,  and  died.  Job 
put  a  White  Shirt  on  her,  and  at  her 
open  grave  he  wept  and  said  :  "  Big 
Man,  forgive  the  woman  :  fond  of  old 
money  she  was  and  very  nasty  she  was 
to  mam  fach."  Then  he  prayed  a  prayer 
which  he  had  rehearsed,  and  raised  his 
singing  voice  in  a  holy  hymn. 


164 


JUDGES 


165 


XII 
JUDGES 

After  Essec  Penparc  was  buried  John 
Tyhen  would  not  give  over  the  meadow 
to  his  brother  Amos,  although  that  it  was 
a  portion  of  Amos's  inheritance  from  Essec, 
and  although  that  in  the  face  of  the  congrega- 
tion Amos  stood  at  his  father's  grave  and 
proclaimed  that  his  patrimony  was  just.  Of 
that  John  took  no  heed,  for  the  man's 
manners  were  harmful :  he  performed 
service  on  his  land  on  the  Sabbath,  and 
his  Sabbath  garments  were  not  respectful 
unto  Sion,  and  he  coveted  temporal 
possessions.  So  it  was  that  Amos  came 
down  to  the  Shepherd's  Abode,  and  spoke 
to  the  Respected  Bern-Davydd  : 
167 


CAPEL   SION 


"  Do  him  forgive  me,  little  Preacher 
Don't  him  think  me  insulting  or  irreligious 
that  I  come  here  in  my  worldly  clothes. 
Heavy  is  my  spirit — heavier  than  the 
grand  stone  I'm  putting  at  the  head  of 
my  father's  grave.  And  to  whom  shall 
I  go  for  counsel  bach  if  not  to  the  Re- 
spected ?  " 

"  Amos,  dear  me,"  said  Bern-Davydd, 
"  the  Judge  of  Sion  is  righteous,  man." 

"  Sanctimonious  he  is,  religious  one," 
said  Amos. 

"  Put  your  backhead  on  a  stool, 
Amos  son  of  Essec,  and  shake  your 
tongue." 

"  Indeed,  down  is  my  spirit,  little  man. 
Is  not  John  plotting  against  me  because 
my  father  gave  me  the  meadow  ?  " 

"  Amos.  Amos.  Not  speaking  seri- 
ous you  are." 

"  Iss.  Disheartening  are  the  words 
John  shouts  of  me." 

"  Don't  be  vexed,  Amos  the  one  good. 
168 


JUDGES 

Very  harshly  will  the  Man  of  Terror  deal 
with  John." 

"  Bad  now  that  a  brother  reviles  a 
boy  bach  like  me." 

Bern-Davydd  sang  :  "  Where's  the  old 
profit  though  the  black  gains  the  meadow 
and  loses  his  White  Shirt  ?  Not  his  knife, 
nor  his  trousers.  Not  his  wheelbarrow, 
nor  his  clogs.  But  his  soul,  male  bach. 
Terrible  Man,  smite  the  blackguard  John. 
Speech  to  me,  little  boy,  the  rent  of  the 
meadow." 

"  Well — well,  small  is  the  money,  for 
sure.  Angry  would  the  Big  Man  be  if  I 
mouthed  nay  to  my  father  blessing." 

"  Wise  you  are,  boy.  Go  forth  will  I 
and  hold  inquisition  over  the  sow  and 
lord  it  over  him.  Explain  the  bigness 
of  the  meadow." 

''*  Of  acres  two  ;    of  worry  a  cartload.' 
'  Loss  awful  to  Capel  Sion  when  Fssec 
flew.     Go   you  to   his   place   in   the   Big 
Seat." 

169 


CAPEL   SION 


"  Holy  that  will  be." 

"  Ask  the  Great  Judge  will  I  how  to 
deal  with  John,"  said  Bern-Davydd. 
"  The  meadow  is  worth  two  sovereigns 
a  year,  shall  I  spout  ?  " 

"  No — no,  Respected  Preacher  bach." 

"Is  he  worth  a  sovereign  and  half  a 
sovereign  ?  " 

"  No — no,  man.     No,  indeed." 

"  Don't  be  jokeful,  Amos.     Speak." 

"  One  small  yellow  sovereign,  Preacher 
nice." 

"  Ho — ho.  A  slip  of  a  miser  is  John. 
And  he  is  a  worse  old  thief  than  his  cat. 
Look  you,  we  will  tell  against  him." 

Bern-Davydd  called  on  his  wife  Sara, 
and  he  said  to  her :  "  Bring  you  my 
preaching  coat,  and  my  cuffs,  and  fasten 
you  my  collar  about  my  neck,  and  put 
on  my  feet  the  elastic  boots." 

Then  he  said  to  Amos  :  "  Come,  Amos 
Essec.    Let  us  go  up  to  the  mountain." 

When  they  reached  the  top  of  the 
170 


JUDGES 

moor,  Bern-Davydd  made  an  utterance. 
This  is  that  which  he  uttered  :  "  Not 
saintly  enough  are  you  to  come  into  the 
Big  Man's  presence.  Tarry  you  here 
while  I  climb  the  mound  to  hold  forth." 
Before  he  departed,  he  emptied  his  mouth 
of  its  spittle  and  laid  the  pellet  of  tobacco 
that  was  in  his  mouth  on  a  stone :  and  so  with 
a  clean  mouth  he  reported  to  God.  Pre- 
sently he  came  down,  and  he  replaced 
the  tobacco,  and  took  the  india-rubber 
cuffs  from  off  his  wrists  and  the  collar 
from  off  his  neck. 

"  Amos  the  dirty  son  of  Essec,"  he 
said,  "  sin  has  come  from  your  throat. 
Ach  y  fi,  the  awful  swine.  Scrape  her 
with  a  shovel.  Why  for  you  say  that 
the  meadow  is  worth  a  yellow  sovereign  ?  " 

"  Little  Respected,"  Amos  answered, 
"  I  said  that  in  my  littleness.  Wishful 
was  I  to  hide  John's  avarice.  Forgive 
him  his  servant." 

"  Shut  your  head.  Thus  saith  the  Big 
171 


CAPEL   SION 


Man  :   '  Costly  is  the  meadow,  Bern  bach, 
at  a  yellow  sovereign.'  " 

"  And  like  that  the  Big  Man  ?  " 
"  Thus  saith  the  Large  Farmer  :    '  See 
you,    photograph,   that   Amos  keeps    the 
meadow,  for  is  he  not  Essec's  blessing  to 
him  ?  '  " 
"  Amen,  Bern-Davydd  bach  religious." 
"  The  Man  of  Vengeance  saith  :    '  Tell 
you  Amos  that  you  will  rent  the  meadow 
from  him  for  one  half  a  yellow  sovereign 
to  be  paid  on  the  day  of  the  Hiring  Fair. 
Of  the  grass  that  grows  there  the  pony 
that  carries  you  about  and  about  to  preach 
preaches  shall  eat.'  " 

"  Don't  he  say !  "  cried  Amos,  and  he 
doubled  up  his  beard  and  put  the  end 
thereof  into  his  mouth.  He  mumbled : 
"  Do  I  not  need  the  meadow  for  my 
cows  ?  Is  he  not  the  best  grazing  land 
hereabout  ?  Be  him  sensible,  boy  religious 
of  the  pulpit." 

Thereat  Bern-Davydd  pitched  his  voice : 
172 


JUDGES 

"  Will  you  be  as  evil  as  John  ?  Will 
you  dispute  with  the  Big  Man  ?  "  He 
also  appointed  a  set  time,  saying  :  "  Such 
and  such  a  day  I  shall  take  God's  pony 
into  the  meadow.  Hie  you  away  and 
order  John." 

Amos  said  yea,  because  the  close  friend- 
ship between  Bern-Davydd  and  the  Big 
Man  awed  him.  It  was  that  in  the  dim- 
ness of  the  day  he  entered  the  field  in 
which  John  and  John's  wife  Martha 
were  toiling,  and  he  said  :  "  Very  messy 
is  things  after  the  old  rain,  little  people." 

John  looked  at  his  brother  :  "  Why  for 
you  say  extraordinary  ?  " 

"  A  mess,  too,  is  life  without  the  Palace 
of  White  Shirts,"  Amos  replied.  "  Longish 
were  the  prayers  I  made  this  day." 

"  Talk  a  plain  talk,  Amos,"  said  John. 

"  Rented  the  field  bach  have  I  to 
Bern-Davydd." 

"  Dear  glory  me,  for  why  you  act  so 
strangely  ?  " 

173 


CAPEL   SION 


"  Was  I  not  thinking  of  you,  my  brother, 
and  of  you,  my  sister  ?  "  answered  Amos. 
"  Grieved  am  I  that  you  labour  so  hardly.'* 

"  Old  man  nasty  you  are  to  rent  what 
is  not  yours." 

"  Hold  your  words,  John  bach,"  said 
Amos.  "  What  does  the  Apostle  say  about 
kicking  against  the  pricks  ?  And  did  I 
not  speak  over  the  grave  of  father  Essec 
that  the  meadow  was  mine  ?  " 

John  remembered  :  by  the  sweat  of  his 
limbs  he^  kept  profitable  the  twenty  acres 
of  gorse  land  attached  to  Tyhen  ;  he  tilled 
and  digged  and  drained,  and  his  body  was 
become  crooked  and  the  roots  of  his 
beard  were  caked  with  some  of  the  earth 
that  had  enabled  him  to  gather  much 
wealth,  even  seventy  sovereigns.  He 
struck  Amos. 

"  Meek    am    I    in    my    religion,"    said 
Amos.     "  Above  all  the  men  on  the  face 
of  the  earth,  I  am  the  most  humble."     He 
turned  upon  his  brother  his  cheek* 
174 


JUDGES 

That  night  John  set  a  clamp  to  the  gate 
of  his  meadow  so  that  no  one  could 
enter  the  field  ;  and  as  he  came  back  to 
Tyhen,  he  saw  his  cat  eating  the  herring 
that  remained  from  the  midday  meal. 

"  You  wasteful  daughter  of  a  robin," 
he  cried  to  his  wife  Martha.  "  There's 
bad  you  are.  Why  did  you  not  hide 
the  fish  ?  Was  he  not  as  large  as  my 
leg  ?  He  would  make  the  next  day's 
meal  also." 

He  went  out  and  caught  the  cat  and 
brought  it  into  the  house ;  and  he 
called  up  to  him  Martha  and  his  two 
children,  and  he  laid  the  animal  on  the 
table  and  in  their  sight  he  killed  it.  He 
divided  the  carcase  into  two,  and  one  piece 
he  nailed  in  the  door  of  Penparc,  and  one 
piece  he  nailed  in  the  door  of  the  Shep- 
herd's Abode. 


175 


A  KEEPER  OF  THE  DOORS 


N  177 


XIII 

A  KEEPER  OF  THE  DOORS 

On  a  morning  Leisa  Llain  addressed 
Michael  her  husband  :  "  Near  perishing, 
woe  me,  am  I." 

Michael  answered  :  "  What,  old  ox,  is 
the  matter  with  you  to  disturb  my  sleep  ? 
Odd  talk  you  make  through  the  backhead 
of  your  neck." 

"  Serious  is  my  speech,  little  Michael," 
said  Leisa.  "  Over  laboured  am  I.  Be 
you  a  boy  bach  nice,  and  clean  the  out- 
houses of  filth." 

Michael    settled    his    countenance   and 

reproved  Leisa.     Then  he  wailed  :  "  Well 

— well,  iss  ;   well — well,  no.     A  weak  dear 

one  have  I  been  since  I  came  to  your  bed. 

179 


CAPEL    SION 


My  mam  used  to  make  words  :  '  Lustful 
wench  is  Leisa  Llain.  Temptful  is  the 
wench  in  her  bed,  son  bach  of  my  heart.'  " 
Michael  turned  his  back  upon  Leisa  and 
slept. 

At  the  middle  of  the  day  his  wife  came 
up  on  his  bed  in  all  her  garments,  and  she 
shrieked  because  of  the  pain  that  tor- 
mented her,  and  she  complained  that  she 
would  not  recover  of  her  sickness.  Before 
the  light  of  the  day  was  spent,  Michael 
awoke. 

"  An  old  woman  cruel  you  are,"  he 
said.  "  If  I  was  not  feeble,  one  in  the 
bone  of  your  cheek  I  would  give  you 
straight." 

"  There's  hurts  in  me  "  Leisa  moaned. 
She  displaced  the  shawls  that  were  over 
her  bodice,  and  the  shawls  that  were  under 
her  bodice,  and  she  beat  her  hands  upon 
her  breast. 

"  The  Angel  of  the  White  Shirt  is  very 
near,  female,"  said  Michael. 
180 


A   KEEPER   OF   THE   DOORS 


41  Wishful  am  I,  man,  that  he  was  in 
me,"  said  Leisa. 

Michael  came  down  from  his  bed  and 
went  to  Shop  Tailor — which  is  between  the 
Garden  of  Eden  and  the  School  House — 
and  Shonni  Tailor  said  to  him  :  "  What 
is  your  errand,  shall  I  say  ?  " 

"  Why  for  you  squander  time,  little 
man  ?'  Michael  replied.  "  Solemn  to  have 
a  corpse  in  your  little  house." 

"  Provoke  me  you  do,"  said  Shonni 
Tailor.     "  Mouth   plain  in  my  hearing." 

"  Flying  is  Leisa,  indeed  me,  Shonni.  Is 
not  her  feet  in  the  Jordan  already  ?  " 

"  Bad  jasto,  now  !  "  said  Shonni.  "  Act 
you  religious,  and  ask  me  to  pray  on  the 
Night  of  Wailing." 

Michael  admonished  Shonni :  "  Shonni, 
indeed,  wasteful  speecher  you  are.  Look 
you,  make  at  once  in  a  haste  respectable 
clothes  for  to  bury  Leisa  in.  Very  black 
must  they  be,  for  wet  will  be  my  weeping. 
See  here,  put  a  flap  fach  on  the  trousers." 
181 


CAPEL   SION 


When  Michael  arrived  home  he  put  water 
in  a  cauldron,  which  he  hung  in  the 
chimney  over  the  fire,  and  he  spoke  to 
Leisa  :  "  Making  old  water  hot  am  I  to 
wash  you,  female.  Clean  shall  your  per- 
ished corpse  be  on  the  Night  of  Wail- 
ing. Say  a  prayer  will  I  now  for  you. 
Merciful  will  the  Big  Husband  be  that 
you  are  the  woman  of  Michael  Llain." 

After  he  had  prayed,  he  visited  the  places 
where  the  hens  had  their  nests,  and 
gathered  together  all  the  eggs,  even  the 
addled  eggs  which  are  left  to  entice  the 
hens  to  lay ;  and  he  put  all  these  eggs, 
and  also  those  which  had  been  collected, 
in  a  basket  and  took  them  to  Shop  Rhys, 
and  the  value  of  them  was  the  price  he 
paid  for  a  White  Shirt  of  the  Dead. 

Then  Michael  lay  by  the  side  of  his  wife. 

Now  the  man  was  lazy  from  his  youth 

up.     He  slept  near  to  the  end  of  every  day, 

except  the  day  of  the  Sabbath.    Then  he 

arose  early  to  go  and  take  charge  of  the 

182 


A   KEEPER   OF  THE   DOORS 


Doors  of  Sion.  Thus  he  was  become 
very  fat.  The  labour  of  the  six  acres  of 
land  which  are  with  Llain  was  performed 
by  Leisa,  whose  temper  was  aroused 
because  of  the  man's  indolence.  She 
voiced  spiteful  sayings  against  him  on 
the  Tramping  road  and  in  Shop  Rhys  : 
how  his  worth  was  less  than  the  worth  of 
an  ass,  how  his  bones  were  without  mar- 
row, how  constant  toil  had  blighted  her 
fertility.  With  all,  Michael  had  a  name 
in  Sion  :  he  made  monthly  sacrifices  of  a 
white-hearted  cabbage,  or  a  sackful  of 
potatoes,  or  a  weight  of  butter  to  the 
Ruler  of  the  Pulpit ;  and  this  was  a  pro- 
verb in  the  district :  "  Prayer  bach  very 
eloquent  is  Michael  Llain." 

At  the  end  of  a  set  period  Leisa's  pains  were 
decreased,  and  she  fulfilled  divers  labours 
in  and  about  her  house.  She  weighed  her 
husband's  sluggishness,  whereon  her  wrath 
against  him  was  increased.  She  exclaimed  at 
the  side  of  his  bed:  "Come out,  you  putrid 
183 


CAPEL    SION 


cow.  Why  for  you  are  like  a  sow  ? " 
and  she  took  her  clog  from  her  left  foot 
and  struck  his  head  with  the  heel  of  it. 

"  Don't  you  vex  me,  the  accursed  Leisa," 
said  Michael.  "  What  for  you  hit  my  little 
face  ?  Saying  things  am  I  about  your 
old  corpse  to  the  Big  Man." 

"  Clap  your  lips,  you  swine  of  a  toad," 
said  Leisa.  "  By  sloth  you  were  con- 
ceived. Ach  y  fi,  eighteen  years  old  was 
I  when  I  married  you,  and  for  five  years 
I  have  not  had  minutes  to  clean  my 
legs." 

Michael  repeated  her  words  and  told  of 
her  act  to  the  Seiet  of  the  Congregation, 
and  he  grieved  that  the  woman's  heart  was 
turned  apart  from  religion,  and  he  said  : 
"  There's  struggle  will  I  with  the  Big 
Man,  people  bach,  when  he  comes  up 
from  Fiery  Pool  to  fetch  her." 

He  chose  a  portion  of  the  burial  ground 
beneath  which  Leisa  should  be  buried, 
saying :  "  Tell  you,  will  I,  boys  Capel 
184 


A   KEEPER   OF  THE   DOORS 


Sion,  when  I  hear  the  old  Spirit  Hounds." 
He  also  pleaded  with  the  Judge  of  Sion 
not  to  withhold  from  Leisa  the  Palace 
of  White  Shirts. 

The  spring  of  the  year  passed,  and  the 
hurts  of  her  affliction  were  come  back 
upon  Leisa.  But  she  continued  to  trim 
the  land  which  gave  her  little  and  robbed 
her  of  herself.  She  was  grown  revengeful 
against  her  husband :  in  the  mornings 
she  took  away  the  clothes  from  off  his 
bed  until  not  one  remained  over  him. 

"  Lift  your  bald  head,  you  frog,"  she 
reviled  him. 

Michael  was  unmindful. 

Leisa  urged  him  to  go  into  the  fields 
of  her  neighbours,  but  he  did  not  change 
his  habit  in  any  manner,  and  he  stayed 
on  his  bed  unto  the  cool  of  the  evenings. 

One    Sabbath    Shonni    Tailor    said    to 

him  :  "  Indeed  to  goodness,  Michael  bach, 

boast  did  you  that  Leisa's  clogs  were  in 

the  Jordan.     Nice  and  long  was  the  prayer  I 

185 


CAPEL   SION 


worded  for  the  Night  of  Wailing.  A  bad 
blackguard  you  are  to  tell  a  lie,  the  man." 

Michael  was  confused  in  the  face  of 
Shonni ;  had  he  not  said  :  "  Is  not  her  feet 
in  the  Jordan  already  ?  " 

"  Shonni  bach  nice,"  he  answered,  "  every 
day  I  watch  for  the  Angel  of  the  White 
Shirts.  Weep  I  will  when  he  draws  nigh 
to  Llain." 

The  Angel  came  presently.  Leisa  was 
labouring  in  a  man's  wheatfield.  In  the 
strong  heat  of  the  day  she  yelled  :  "  Boys 
bach,  hurts  are  in  me,"  and  she  fell  upon 
the  ground.  The  people  who  were  work- 
ing encompassed  her.  The  wife  of  the 
owner  of  the  wheat  corrected  them  :  "  Go 
you  off,  persons  bach.  Much  has  to  be 
done  yet."  She  dipped  an  apron  in  the 
water  of  the  ditch  that  is  in  the  field, 
and  spread  it  on  Leisa's  forehead ;  and 
she  hid  Leisa's  face  from  the  heat  of  the 
sun  with  straw.  In  the  dusk  of  the  day 
Shonni  Tailor  raised  Leisa  from  the  floor 
186 


A   KEEPER   OF   THE   DOORS 


of  the  field  and  carried  her  easily  to  Llain, 
and  he  said  to  Michael :  "  Religious  glory 
is  awaiting  you,  man  bach.  Is  not  the 
Angel  of  the  White  Shirts  on  his  way  to 
your  abode  ?  " 

"  Off,  then,  now,"  said  Michael,  "  and 
voice  that  Michael  Llain  will  wrestle  with 
the  Bad  Man." 

Michael  drew  off  Leisa's  garments 
and  shawls  and  washed  the  body  of 
her,  and  he  put  on  her  the  White  Shirt  of 
the  Dead ;  and  he  prepared  much 
provision.  Moreover  he  took  a  box 
and  made  a  hole  through  the  lid  of 
it,  and  he  set  it  on  the  window-sill  by 
Leisa's  bed.  At  last  weariness  overcame 
him  and  he  went  and  rested  in  the  cow- 
house. 

The  great  people  of  Sion  came  into 
Llain,  and  also  small  people  were  come 
with  tin  pitchers  to  carry  water  from 
Big  Pistil  which  is  against  Llain,  and  the 
house  was  full  from  the  end  of  the 
187 


CAPEL   SION 


parlour  to  the  fireplace ;  the  praying 
men  prayed  and  the  singing  men  and 
women  sang,  and  the  many  who  de- 
parted to  milk  their  cows  returned  and 
stayed  in  the  house  until  the  middle  of 
the  day,  when  Leisa  died. 

After  all  had  eaten  of  the  provision, 
even  of  the  victuals  which  they  had 
brought  in  honour  of  the  dead,  Shonni 
Tailor  came  into  the  cowhouse  and  awak- 
ened Michael :  "  Grease  your  boots,  Michael, 
now,  and  wear  your  respectable  black 
clothes,  and  come  in  and  say  :  *  Shonni 
Tailor  will  pray  last  on  the  Night  of 
Woe.'  Rise,  you  boy  bach  nice ;  Leisa 
is  in  the  Jordan." 

Michael  answered  :  "  Don't  say  !  There's 
wet  will  be  my  weeping  when  I  wake." 


188 


THE  ACTS  OF  DAN 


189 


XIV 

THE  ACTS  OF  DAN 

Dan  son  of  Shan — a  servant  in  Pentre- 
mawr,  which  is  against  the  shores  of 
Morfa — on  a  day  said  to  his  master : 
"  Not  wise  that  I  labour  for  you.  A 
photograph  bach  am  I  of  the  Big  Man. 
How  talk,  then,  if  I  say  :  'I  break  my 
hire  '  ?  " 

He  put  his  clothes  and  his  clogs  in  a 
wooden  box,  and  he  carried  the  box  to 
Groesfordd,  which  was  the  abode  of  his 
mother  Shan  and  which  is  at  the  foot  of 
the  hilly  road  that  goes  up  to  the  Moor. 
He  assumed  he  was  above  all  the  religious 
men  in  Capel  Sion,  and  in  the  Seiet  he 
rose  and  exclaimed  :  "  Boys  bach,  a  photo- 
graph of  Big  Man  am  I." 
191 


CAPEL    SION 


The  Respected  Davydd  Bern-Davydd 
denied  him,  saying  :  "  The  fool  is  lame  in 
the  foot :  old  club  is  at  the  bottom  of  his 
leg,  and  light  is  the  weight  of  his  sense. 
Brawling  evil  is  the  iob.  Shan  fach, 
very  grieved  you  are  for  your  idiot. 
People,  hear  you  Shan  say  now  :  *  Indeed, 
iss,  Religious  Respected.'  " 

Shan  adored  Dan.  Her  mind  was  elated 
that  God  had  ceased  His  anger  against 
her  bastard  son,  and  she  prayed  within  her 
that  the  number  of  blessings  He  would  heap 
upon  Dan  would  be  as  the  number  of 
stones  which  marred  her  field.  She  mut- 
tered :  "  Murmuring,  dear  congregation, 
is  always  the  boy  bach  to  the  One  in  the 
sky.     Large  joy  he  makes  of  his  religion." 

"  Serious  to  goodness,  off  is  your  tem- 
per," Bern-Davydd  said.  "  Lunatic  is  Dan. 
Boys  Capel  Sion,  laugh  provokingly  at 
Dan  Groesfordd.  Know  you  all  that  I 
am  the  Big  Man's  photograph." 

The  praying  men — the  first  praying 
192 


THE   ACTS   OF   DAN 


men  who  were  in  the  Big  seat — laughed 
and  answered  as  with  one  mouth : 
"  Words  very  well  he  speeches,  Re- 
spected. "  The  lesser  praying  men — they 
whose  seats  were  on  the  floor  of  Sion — 
did  likewise. 

Howsoever  the  people  mocked  and 
chided  him,  none  was  able  to  entreat 
Dan  to  humble  himself  or  to  give  over  his 
false  argument.  He  stood  in  the  public 
places  and  proclaimed  that  he  was  the 
Son  of  God,  and  he  prophesied  that  he 
would  prevail  above  Sion,  that  he  was  the 
chosen  Ruler  of  the  Pulpit. 

One  day  he  took  a  bucket  into  his 
mother's  field  and  made  a  tinkling  noise 
upon  it,  and  he  cried  :  "  Shoot !  Shoot !  " 
Thus  he  enticed  up  to  him  Shan's  fattening 
pig.  He  seized  the  pig  and  carried  it 
to  the  Garden  of  Eden.  On  the  way 
thither  he  uttered  with  a  great  voice : 
"  Sinners  Capel  Sion,  come  you,  chil- 
dren bach  and  gaze  you  on  what  I  do  for 

o  193 


CAPEL   SION 


the  White  Jesus  nice.  Awful  is  the 
religious  dirt  in  your  bellies."  He  put 
the  pig  on  the  floor  of  the  Garden  and 
killed  it.  Then  he  discoursed  to  the 
people :  "  Mountains  of  bad  evil  there 
is,  boys.  Did  not  the  Big  Ruler  say  to 
me :  *  Now,  now,  Dan  Groesfordd,  pic- 
ture of  me  you  are,  man  bach.  Hie  off, 
and  slay  Shan's  pig  in  my  name  !  '  Dan 
removed  the  pig  to  Groesfordd  and 
Shan  poured  boiling  water  over  it  and 
scraped  the  hairs  from  off  the  skin,  and 
when  she  had  separated  the  carcase  into 
small  pieces;  Dan  said  to  her  :  '  Go  now 
the  next  day  and  sell  the  pieces  bach 
to  the  people.  If  one  says  to  you : 
4  Not  wanting  the  flesh  of  pig  do  I 
speak  like  this :  '  Buy  now,  for  sure. 
Is  not  this  the  swine  that  perished  in 
the    Big   Man's    name  ?  '  " 

Shan  obeyed  the  order  of  her  son  Dan, 
and  she  did  not  turn   her  face  until  she 
had    utterly     sold     the    pig,     even    the 
194 


THE   ACTS   OF   DAN 


entrails,  and  when  she  returned  she  said 
to  Dan  :  "  Love  bach  of  my  heart,  take 
you  the  yellow  gold  and  white  silver." 
She  spread  three  shawls  on  the  floor  and 
rested  upon  them. 

For  two  days  Dan  hid  from  the  people, 
and  he  would  not  eat  or  drink  anything. 
He  came  forth  from  his  hiding  place 
and  lamented  at  the  Gates  of  Sion  :  "  Old 
mam  fooled  me  to  sell  the  corpse  of  the 
Big  Man's  pig.  Stinging  is  my  spirit. 
Ugly  are  the  sovereigns  and  shillings  she 
gave  me.  Accursed  mam  have  I.  And 
has  not  the  Big  One  said  :  c  Dan  bach, 
Jesus  is  on  my  right  hand,  and  you  are 
on  my  left  hand  '  ?  " 

As  he  was  speaking  a  stranger 
woman,  who  was  very  large,  stopped  the 
horse  that  was  between  the  shafts  of  her 
cart,  and  spoke  to  Dan  these  words : 
"  What  does  the  boy  bach  say  ?  " 

"  Woman  from  where  you  are  ?  "  Dan 
answered. 

195 


CAPEL    SION 


"  Ho,  ho,  the  mishtress  of  Blaenpant 
am  I." 

"  Puzzling  you  are,"  said  Dan.  "  Where 
shall  I  say  is  Blaenpant  ?  " 

44  O,  well— well.     In  Conwil." 

"  Enlarge  your  mouth  and  tell  the  name 
of  you  and  your  man.  There's  sly  you 
are  to  keep  secrets." 

"  Is  not  my  name  Sali  Blaenpant  ? 
Gone  is  the  husband  to  the  Palace  of 
White  Shirts." 

"  Dear  me,"  said  Dan.  "  Dear  me. 
Abide  do  I  with  the  Big  Man.  Not 
anything  concerns  me  but  Him."  Then 
sang  Dan  Groesfordd  :  "  Sali  Blaenpant, 
is  not  the  Big  Man  the  landlord  of  all 
the  fields  ?  Even  the  land  under  the  old 
potatoes  He  owns.  Good  He  is  to  ones 
religious  and  bad  to  unbelievers.  He  did 
say  to  me  :  *  Dan  bach,  don't  you  now 
let  an  old  razor  touch  the  hairs  of  your 
face,  because  I  will  make  you  a  photo- 
graph of  the  White  Jesus  bach.'  A 
196 


THE   ACTS   OF   DAN 


great  pig  I  sacrificed  and  my  Satan  of 
Mam  sold  the  saintly  corpse.  What  for 
you  say  to  that  ?  " 

"  Serious  sin,"  Sali  the  stranger  woman 
answered  ;  "  give  you  a  suckling  pig  will  I." 

"  Stout,  Sali  Blaenpant,  the  pig  was," 
said  Dan.  "  To  the  Big  Man  you  give 
a  stout  little  pig." 

Sali  addressed  her  horse  :  "  Gee,  old 
mare  fach.  Good-bye,  boy  nice,  and  good- 
bye again  "  ;  and  she  departed  believing. 
She  spoke  of  that  which  she  had  seen  and 
heard,  saying :  "  The  second  Jesus  is 
Dan  Groesfordd."  She  sent  to  Dan  a 
letter,  in  which  she  wrote  that  he  was 
greater  than  all  the  rulers. 

Dan  journeyed  to  Blaenpant. 

"  How  you  was  then  ?  "  he  said  to  Sali. 

"  Very  good,  thanks  be  to  you,  religious 
boy." 

"  Much  land  you  have  here,"  said  Dan. 

"  One  hundred  acres  but  ten  acres," 
said  Sali. 

197 


CAPEL   SION 


"  Well  and  well,"  said  Dan.  "  An  old 
bother  is  a  mortgage." 

"  Iss,  boy  bach.  But  there's  no  mort- 
gage on  Blaenpant." 

"  Happy  you  are  in  your  offences," 
said  Dan.  "  What  will  Blaenpant  profit 
you  in  the  Palace  of  White  Shirts  ?  Give 
did  I  all  to  the  Big  Man.  Speechify 
religion  will  I  now.  This  is  what  the 
Angel  said  to  me  the  first  night :  *  Grand 
for  you  to  preach  preaches  in  a  Capel.'  ' 

"  Wise  was  the  Angel,"  said  Sali. 

"  Poor  am  I  in  silver  and  gold,"  said 
Dan,  "  and  rich  in  religion.  How  say 
you  to  a  Capel  Sink  ?  White  will  be 
your  Shirt." 

Sali  Blaenpant  gave  Dan  three  sove- 
reigns and  a  fat  pig,  and  the  pig  he  sold 
to  Sam  Warts,  Castellybryn,  and  the 
money  he  got  for  it,  and  also  the  money 
he  had  had  for  the  flesh  of  the  pig  which 
was  sacrificed  and  the  three  sovereigns 
he  put  under  the  mattress  of  his  bed. 
198 


THE   ACTS   OF   DAN 


On  the  eve  of  the  Sabbath  he  said  to 
the  tale-bearers  of  the  district :  "  Jesus 
bach  is  inside  me.  Preach  preaches  will 
I  on  the  first  day  in  the  void  before  the 
workshop  of  Lias  Carpenter.  Carpenter 
bach  very  handy  was  Jesus." 

The  tale-bearers  cried  this  to  Bern- 
Davydd,  whereof  Bern-Davydd  was  un- 
easy, and  he  visited  the  houses  of  the 
men  who  had  the  oversight  of  the  con- 
gregation. 

"  Fools  you  are,"  he  said  to  them. 
"  The  cow  Dan  Groesfordd  makes  mis- 
chief in  the  Capel.  Horrible,  then. 
Abominable  is  the  man.  Don't  be  calm, 
old  donkeys.  Displeased  will  the  Big  Man 
be  if  this  comes  to  pass.  Your  horses 
will  rot  and  a  plague  of  worms  will  eat 
your  sheep.  Lightning  will  burn  your 
bellies  and  crops.  And  I,  dear  me,  will 
be  called  to  play  the  harp  fach.  What  will 
you  do  without  me  ?  " 

The  men  of  the  Big  Seat  took  each  other's 
199 


CAPEL   SION 


counsel,  and  they  conspired  to  do  Dan  hurt ; 
they  sent  the  lesser  of  the  praying  men 
to  Groesfordd  to  stone  him.  Dan  heard 
the  noise  of  their  footsteps  and  went 
softly  into  a  place  of  concealment.  Be- 
fore the  morning  light  he  came  abroad, 
and  having  eaten  and  put  on  him  his 
black  garments,  he  moved  to  the  void 
place  which  is  before  the  workshop  of 
Lias  Carpenter ;  and  as  he  spoke  Sali 
Blaenpant  stepped  downward  from  her 
cart  and  stood  by  him.  Some  passed 
on  their  way  to  Sion,  and  were  refreshed 
exceedingly  with  the  music  of  his  elo- 
quence ;  they  said  :  "  Preacher  bach  not 
very  bad  is  Dan  Shan." 

Dan  preached  for  many  Sabbaths,  and 
the  music  of  his  eloquence  gave  religious 
delight  to  numerous  persons  ;  and  every 
Sabbath  Sali  stayed  by  him.  His  name 
came  to  be  greater  than  the  name  of  Bern- 
Davydd,  although  Bern-Davydd  accounted 
ill  of  him  to  God  and  counselled  God  to 
200 


THE   ACTS   OF   DAN 


blast  his  body.  His  ownings  increased : 
he  had  a  milching  cow  and  a  heifer, 
two  pigs,  three  sheep,  and  many  hens  • 
and  he  hired  a  field  besides  the  field 
which  was  marred  with  stones. 

Bern-Davydd  essayed  to  subdue  him. 
He  rehearsed  wrathful  words  that  he 
would  relate  to  the  assembly  that  gathered 
in  the  void  place,  but  when  he  beheld 
all  the  people  that  Dan  had  stolen  from 
Sion,  his  indignation  was  so  great  that 
he  could  not  speak. 

He  turned  away  and  walked  to  Capel 
Sion,  and  he  said  to  the  congregation : 
"  Foul  old  blacks  are  you  to  allow  the 
mule  to  be  more  than  the  Big  Man's  son." 

A  certain  high  man  in  the  Big  Seat 
ceased  chewing  his  beard,  and  said  :  "  Wo, 
now,  Religious  Respected,  not  right  that 
he  speaks  so  of  us,  his  children  bach." 

"Dear  me  to  goodness,"  answered  Bern- 
Davydd,    "  go    off,    then,    and    pelt    the 
male  ram  with  your  fists." 
201 


CAPEL   SION 


The  certain  high  man  said  :  "  Good, 
too,  that  will  be.  How  now  if  the  young 
youths  will  do  this  for  the  Big  Man's  son  ? 
Take  in  your  hands  knobby  batons." 

"  Close  your  eyes,  young  youths,  and 
the  Big  Man  will  say  sayings  in  my  ear," 
said  Bern-Davydd.  In  a  little  time  he 
said :  "  Like  this  the  Large  Judge : 
1  Bern  bach,  array  you  the  youths  of  Sion 
and  send  them  out  to  whallop  the  frog 
Dan  Groesfordd.'  " 

Nine  sons  of  Sion  took  Dan  down  from 
his  bed,  and  they  carried  him  to  the 
pond  which  is  in  the  close  of  Penparc,  and 
they  placed  him  on  the  brim  of  the  mess, 
crying  :  "Go  inside,  the  man.  Why  for 
you  do  not  go,  I  shouldn't  be  surprised  !  " 
Because  Dan  hesitated,  they  urged  him 
with  the  prongs  of  hay  forks,  and  when 
he  came  out  of  the  messy  water  they  took 
his  clothes  from  his  body  and  drove  him 
home ;  at  the  gate  of  the  close  three  of 
the  young  youths  raised  him  from  the 
202 


THE   ACTS    OF    DAN 


ground  and  carried  him  into  the  house, 
and  as  they  put  him  on  his  bed,  they 
beheld  that  Sali  Blaenpant  and  Shan 
were  there  also. 

Now  Bern-Davydd  had  seen  from  a 
secret  place  all  this  which  was  done  to 
Dan,  and  it  was  so  that  he  waited  the 
return  of  the  young  youths  in  the  way 
of  the  gate  of  the  Shepherd's  Abode. 

"  Fair  day,  porkers  bach,"  he  said. 
"  How  was  affairs  ?  " 

"  Fair  day,"  answered  the  youths. 
"  How  was  he  ?  " 

Then  one  said  :  "  Sali  Blaenpant  lies 
with  Dan." 

"  Porkers  awful  !  "  said  Bern-Davydd. 
"Mad  is  the  shift  of  your  tongues." 

"  Truth  we  speak,  Respected,"  said 
the  one  who  had  spoken.  "  In  bed  she 
is  with  him." 

Bern-Davydd  was  anxious  ;  he  spoke 
to  himself:  "The  hog  will  grow  strong 
on  Sali's  riches.  Hap  she  will  build  for 
203 


CAPEL   SION 


him  Capel  Sink,  and  rob  Sion  still  more. 
Go  will  I  and  look  him  in  the  face." 

He  came  to  Groesfordd.  "  How  you 
was,    religious    one  ? "    he    said   to   Dan. 

"  Mouth    of  your  spirit  ?  "  Dan  asked. 

"  Big  is  the  little  mistake  I  made  about 
you.  Great  is  my  think  for  the  son  of 
Shan." 

"  Glad  am  I  to  listen  to  such  and 
such,"  said  Dan. 

v  Iss-iss,  the  man.  Speak  you  the  day 
bach  of  the  wedding  to  me." 

"  Well,  now,"  said  Dan. 

"  Riches  you  will  inherit,  Dan  bach 
nice.  There's  useful  yellow  sovereigns 
are." 

"  The  earth  is  the  Big  Man's,  Bern- 
Davy  dd,"  said  Dan.  "  Selling  Blaenpant 
is  Sali  fach,  and  the  old  money,  will  not 
I  keep  him  in  trust  for  the  Big 
Man  ?  " 

"  Daniel  Groesfordd,  make  you  a  small 
prayer  with  clapped  eyes,  and  I  will 
204 


THE   ACTS    OF   DAN 


listen  for  speeches  from  the  White  Jesus 
bach  to  bid  you  to  Sion." 

At  the  finish  of  Dan's  prayer,  Bern- 
Davy  dd  said  :  "  Amen,  boy  bach.  Amen 
and  Amen.  The  large  Jesus  says  :  '  Give 
Dan  Groesfordd  an  important  corner  in 
the  Big  Seat.'  " 

About  the  time  that  Dan  was  installed 
in  the  Big  Seat  in  Sion,  Sali  laboured,  and 
she  delivered  a  child  before  the  time  was 
ripe  for  its  birth.  Yet  the  woman  was 
puffed  up  :  as  it  was  buried  she  cried  out  : 
44  A  photograph  of  the  Big  Man  was  the 
infant  bach.     Was  he  not  Dan's  son  ?  " 

Bern-Davydd  said  to  Dan  :  "  Boy,  boy, 
awful  is  this  you  have  done.  Heavy 
must  be  your  sacrifice  unto  Sion." 

"  Religious  Respected,"  answered  Dan, 
"  deal  him  well  by  me.  A  bitch  is  the 
female." 

44  Say  now  your  offer,  Dan  Groesfordd." 

44  Little  have  I  of  white  silver  and  red 
pence,"  said  Dan. 

205 


CAPEL    SION 


"  Give  you  five  yellow  sovereigns  in 
the  collection  plate  on  Sabbath  Preacher," 
said  Bern-Davydd. 

"  Nice  little  Respected  Bern-Davydd, 
make  you  his  talk  less  mean." 

"  Five  hundred  of  pounds  and  half 
hundred  you  had  for  Blaenpant,  for  sure." 

"  Iss,  dear  me." 

11  Giving  you  are,  Dan  Groesfordd,  to 
Him,"  said  Bern-Davydd.  "  There  will 
be  joy  in  the  Palace." 

"  Biggish  was  the  price  the  rascal  law- 
yer cost,"  said  Dan.  "  There's  old  snails 
lawyers  are." 

"  Important  is  your  corner  in  the  Big 
Seat,  man." 

"  Say  him  a  large  yellow  sovereign," 
said  Dan.     "  Act  him  religious." 

Bern-Davydd  replied :  "  Put  you  the 
five  yellow  sovereigns  in  a  parcel  of  paper, 
and  form  the  words  on  the  outside : 
4  This  is  for  the  beloved  Ruler  bach.' 
Go  off  up  to  the  mountain  will  I  then 
206 


THE   ACTS    OF   DAN 


and  tell  the  Big  Man  that  you  fell  by  an 
old  female." 

Dan  obeyed  Bern-Davydd,  and  he  wept 
in  the  Seiet  that  women  had  caused 
him  to  meddle  with  them  to  his  hurt,  and 
he  glorified  God  that  his  hand  had  been 
stayed  from  marrying  Sali  Blaenpant. 

The  next  day  he  performed  a  second 
sacrifice  :  he  brought  out  of  Groesfordd 
the  bed  in  which  he  had  slept  and  an  hour 
before  the  sun  went  down  he  burnt  it 
because  of  its  sin ;  and  Shan  he  sent 
away  to  the  House  of  the  Poor,  which  is 
in  Castellybryn,  and  he  made  Sali  return 
to  the  district  of  her  people,  which  is 
Conwil. 

Afterwards  there  was  peace  on  all  sides 
of  Sion. 


207 


THE  COMFORTER 


209 


XV 

THE  COMFORTER 

The  Respected  Davydd  Bern-Davy dd  lay 
on  his  face  at  the  grave  of  his  wife  Sara, 
and  while  he  wept  he  spoke  :  "  Perished 
is  your  carcase,  Mishtress  fach.  Three 
tens  and  three  years  we  lived  together. 
And  what  was  you  doing  now,  Sara  fach  ? 
Playing  the  little  Harp.  Unhappy  am  I 
without  you.  Did  I  not  show  you  how 
to  serve  the  Big  Husband  ?  Great  One, 
why  for  you  drowned  the  candle  that  was 
in  the  Shepherd's  Abode  ?  In  a  haste 
you  was,  God  bach :  an  hour  or  two 
and  cross  Avon  Jordan  would  me  and 
Sara  together." 

The  congregation  witnessed  Bern-Dav- 
211 


CAPEL   SION 


ydd's  solemn  acting,  and  they  said 
that  the  man's  grief  was  heavy  ;  and  as 
eight  of  the  strongest  men  in  Capel  Sion 
lifted  the  coffin  and  lowered  it  into  the 
grave,  every  one  that  was  of  age  bemoaned 
in  an  audible  voice :  "  Having  gone, 
indeed  me,  is  the  wife  of  our  Re- 
spected." 

After  the  grave  was  filled  with  earth 
and  a  mound  was  fashioned  over  it, 
Bern-Davy dd  commanded  the  people  to 
go  into  the  Capel ;  and  he  stepped  briskly 
at  the  head  of  them,  and  they  followed 
him  in  the  manner  of  those  that  walk 
in  procession.  When  all  were  gathered 
in  Sion,  Bern-Davy  dd  went  up  into  his 
pulpit  and  asked  God  by  what  violent 
means  he  could  end  his  life.  Then 
Bern-Davy  dd  answered  God  :  "  All  right 
you  are,  now,  then,  Big  Man.  So-so. 
Live  you  want  me  to  keep  your  House 
respectable." 

It  fortuned  that  on  the  fifth  Sabbath 
212 


THE    COMFORTER 


after  Sara's  burial  Tim  Deinol — Deinol  is 
on  the  slope  that  goes  down  into  Morfa — 
and  his  daughter  Becca  came  into  the 
neighbourhood  to  ask  about  the  wel- 
fare of  Josi  Llandwr ;  Josi  wished  to 
wed  Becca  because  he  coveted  Tim's 
belongings.  They  were  arrived  early 
in  the  day ;  and  Tim  put  his 
horse  in  the  stable  which  is  against 
the  House  of  the  Capel,  and  he  made 
himself  familiar  to  Ben  and  Jane,  the 
keepers  thereof.  These  are  the  words 
with  which  Tim  Deinol  greeted  Ben  and 
Jane  : 

"  How  you  was,  boys  bach  ?  " 

"  How    you    was  ?  "    Ben    answered. 

"  Give  you  the  mare  fach  a  feed  of 
hay,  now,"  said  Tim. 

Having  done  that  task,  Ben  returned, 
and  to  him  Tim  said  :  "  Journeyed  to 
Capel  Sion  are  we  to  hear  the  Evangel. 
From  Morfa  are  we  come  to  weep  to  the 
tune  of  the  Respected.  A  deacon  am  I 
213 


CAPEL   SION 


in  Capel  Saron.  Do  I  not  own  Deinol, 
a  farm,  people  bach,  of  three  twenties 
and  ten  acres  ?  " 

As  soon  as  Tim  ceased  his  saying,  Ben 
talked  to  Jane  : 

"  Don't  you  stand  there,  old  female,  like 
a  snake.  Boil  water  at  once  in  a  hurry 
for  to  make  little  cups  of  tea.  Sit  they 
down  in  the  best  end  of  the  house  and 
tarry  they  till  the  moment  they  enter 
the  Capel.  Distant  is  the  way  from 
Morfa." 

Jane  served  the  strangers  with  tea 
and  with  the  luxuries  of  the  land  :  butter 
and  white  bread,  sugar  in  lumps,  and  such 
cheese  as  shopkeepers  sell ;  and  she  placed 
an  apron  over  Becca's  lap  so  that  neither 
the  tea  nor  the  food,  if  any  fell  thereon, 
should  soil  Becca's  black  cashmere  frock. 
Becca  was  neither  young  nor  well- 
favoured,  and  her  forehead  was  marked 
with  a  blotch  which  was  of  the  colour 
of  a  red  cabbage. 

214 


THE    COMFORTER 


In  the  course  of  his  eating  and  drinking, 
Tim  observed  : 

"  Jasto,  now,  cold  are  my  feet." 

Jane  knelt  down  on  her  knees  and  took 
off  his  shoes  and  gave  him  a  stool  on 
which  to  rest  his  feet. 

Then  Ben  withdrew  and  stood  in  the 
way  of  Sion's  gate,  and  to  the  congregation 
which  passed  he  spoke  : 

"  A  rich  man  has  come  from  Morfa  to 
weep  joy  under  the  Respected." 

"  Speak  you  his  name  to  us,  man," 
the  congregation  urged.  "  There's  close 
you  are." 

"  His  name  is  Tim  and  his  farm  is 
Deinol,  and  he  has  hundreds  of  acres  of 
land,  and  water  flows  through  every  field, 
and  the  number  of  his  servants  is  six. 
Wicked  animals,  why  you  wait  ?  Go  off 
away  to  your  pews  and  be  presentable." 

In  the  fulness  of  time  Bern-Davydd  came 
into  the  House  of  the  Capel  and  after  he 
had  drunk  of  tea  and  eaten  of  bread  and 
215 


CAPEL    SION 


butter  he  viewed  Tim  and  Becca  at  a  wide 
space,  and  he  came  up  to  them,  saying: 

"  Male  and  wife  from  where  you  are  ?  " 

Tim  and  Becca  made  such  reverence 
as  is  due  unto  the  Judge  of  Sion  ;  and 
Tim  also  uncovered  his  head  :  "A  little 
old  man  am  I  to  baldness.  The  wench  is 
my  daughter  Becca." 

"  Ho— ho,"  said  Bern-Davydd.  "  Tidy 
is  the  old  wench." 

"  As  he  speaks,  Religious  Respected," 
said  Tim. 

"  In  a  nice  White  Shirt  is  my  Mishtress," 
said  Bern-Davydd.  "  There's  hard  is  my 
sorrow.     Ask  you  of  the  congregation." 

"  Sounds  of  his  weeping  have  we  heard 
in  Morfa,"  said  Tim. 

Bern-Davydd  sang  :  "  A  grand  woman 
was  the  Mishtress.  She  obeyed  her  hus- 
band and  gave  me  two  sons.  The  Big 
Man  gives  and  the  Big  Man  takes  away. 
Blessed  be  the  name  of  the  Big  Man." 

"Amen,  indeed.  Amen.  Amen,"  said  Tim. 
216 


THE    COMFORTER 


Bern-Davy dd  asked  :  "  Say  you  the 
enterprise  you  have  here?" 

"  Come  are  we  to  hear  him  expound,' 
answered  Tim. 

"  Dear  me,  iss.  Too  religious  am  I  to 
spout  about  old  business.  Stop  you,  now, 
farms  fach  very  nice  in  the  land." 

"  That  he  says.  Speak  him  the  farm  at 
the  head  of  the  old  School  ?  " 

"  Think  you  of  Penparc  ?  " 

"  No,  no.  High  is  the  heap  of  manure 
in  the  close  of  her." 

"  Is  she  not  Llandwr  ?  " 

"  Iss,  Llandwr.  Farmer  very  strong 
is  Josi  Llandwr  ?  "  asked  Tim. 

"  Indeed,  so-so." 

"  Listen  you,  Becca,"  said  Tim. 

The  woman  said  :  fcl  Ears  have  I  got. 
What  for  you  think  ?  Beautiful  are  the 
Respected's  words." 

"  Explain  in  a  whisper  why  you  demand 
about  Josi  ?  "  said  Bern-Davydd. 

"  Not  this  way  ;   not  that  way.     Heard 
have  I  of  the  boy." 
217 


CAPEL   SION 


"  No  odds,  male  bach." 

"  Iss — iss  ;  no — no,"  said  Tim.  "  Bulky 
is  the  purse  his  mother  left  him." 

"  The  Psalmist  bach  says  :  '  Every 
man  is  a  liar.'  " 

"  Wisdom  very  neat,"  said  Tim. 

"  Read  you,  dear  me,  the  Book  of 
Words.  Now  what  the  Psalmist  mean  ? 
Every  man.  Not  every  ruler.  The  Big 
Man's  son  am  I." 

"  One  waggled  his  tongue  to  me  in  this 
way  :  '  Bulky  is  Josi's  purse,'  "  said  Tim. 

Bern-Davydd  answered  Tim  :  "  Purses 
cannot  play  the  Harp.  In  the  Abode 
is  the  Mishtress's  purse,  and  the  Mishtress 
is  playing  the  Harp.  Boys  bach,  weep 
will  I  now  badly." 

In  the  middle  of  the  day  Tim  and 
Becca  supped  broth  at  Llandwr,  and 
Josi  closed  his  beady  eyes  and  said : 
"  Make  words  will  I  to  the  Large  One." 

Tim  did  not  regard  Josi's  prayer,  at 
the  finish  of  which  he  said :  "  Amen 
218 


THE    COMFORTER 


now  indeed  to  goodness  .  Closing  is  the 
day.     Do  you  now  display  your  riches." 

"  Gladly  would  I  do  that  for  you," 
replied  Josi,  "  but  is  not  this  the  Sabbath  : 
Jealous  of  His  day  is  the  Big  Man.  How 
speeched  He  about  the  breaking  of  him  ?  " 

"  Religious  your  say,"  said  Tim. 
"  Many  blessings  has  the  Famer  given 
to  you." 

"  Large,  indeed,  Tim  Deinol.  If  this 
was  an  old  week-day  show  you  I  would 
my  cattle  and  crops." 

"  For  sure,  boy  bach." 

"  And  I  would  say :  '  Lucky  is  the 
female  I  shall  wed.'  Youngish  too  am  I : 
no  razor  has  yet  touched  the  down  on  my 
little  face.  Open  my  mouth  I  will  now 
about  religion.  The  Temple  of  Solomon 
was  very  pretty." 

Tim  considered  with  himself :  "  Much 
was  the  gold  inside." 

"  Male  bach,  iss.  Did  not  Queen  Sheba 
give  Solomon  a  lot  ?  Rich  was  Solomon, 
219 


CAPEL   SION 


and  Queen  gave  him  above  one  hundred 
and  a  half  of  yellow  sovereigns." 

"  Prydderch  in  his  Explanations  says 
that  half  a  hundred  was  the  sum.  I  could 
not  give  Becca  as  much." 

"  Sorry  am  I  that  I  threw  gravel  at 
the  window  of  your  wench  fach,"  said  Josi. 
"  Well — well,  grand  bit  of  sermon  this 
morning,  man." 

"  How  if  Becca  brings  with  her  a 
sow?"  said  Tim.  "  Queen  Sheba  gave 
Solomon  no  pigs." 

"  Swine  the  little  White  Jesus  called 
pigs.     Some  were  possessed.     Ach  y  fi !  " 

"  The  swine  the  Big  Man  spoke  of," 
said  Tim,  "  were  not  the  pigs  we  know. 
Did  He  not  speak  in  a  parable  ?  " 

"  Tim  Deinol,"  said  Josi,  "  wrangle 
you  about  the  Word  ?  "  Josi  looked  up 
to  God  :  "  What  do  you  think,  now,  Big 
Man !  Tim  Deinol  denies  the  Word. 
Is  he  not  a  iob  ?  "  Thus  saying  he  put 
on  him  his  coat  and  his  hat,  and  he 
feigned  to  go  away. 

220 


THE    COMFORTER 


His  manner  alarmed  Tim,  who  laughed 
as  frightened  persons  are  accustomed  to 
do.  Tim  said  :  "  What  is  the  matter  with 
the  boy  bach  ?     Swine  are  little  pigs." 

"  And  gold  Queen  Sheba  gave  Solomon," 
said  Josi.     "  Many  sovereigns." 

"  Iss— iss." 

"  The  religous  man  gives  all  to  his 
children." 

"  As  you  say,"  said  Tim.  "  Leave  you 
two  will  I  now  to  say  this  and  that." 
Therewith  he  went  out  and  looked  into 
Josi's  barn,  and  he  cast  his  gaze  in  search 
of  implements  which  are  employed  on 
the  land,  and  he  studied  the  cattle 
which  were  in  the  fields  of  Llandwr ; 
and  he  turned  into  the  house.  He  said 
to  Josi :  "  Wed  you  Becca  fach.  And 
all  I  have  shall  be  yours."  Immediately 
after  he  had  spoken,  he  walked  to  the 
doorway,  and  on  the  threshold  he  spoke  : 
"  That's  a  handy  machine  separator  you've 
got,  Josi." 

221 


CAPEL   SION 


"  No,  man,  no  old  separator  have  I," 
answered  Josi.     "  Very  useless  she  is." 

"  Save  much  cream  she  does,"  said  Tim, 
"  when  you  have  many  cows." 

"The  wench  of  a  servant  skims  my 
cream,"  said  Josi. 

"  Large  is  the  labour,  dear  me.  Well, 
farewell,  then,  Josi." 

Now  at  the  moment  that  Tim  and  his 
daughter  were  going  away,  Josi  said :  "  Do 
not  go  in  secret.  Pass  you  do  the  Shep- 
herd's Abode.  Pained  will  Bern-Davydd's 
mind  be  if  privily  you  off." 

Even  as  Josi  had  desired,  Tim  stopped 
his  mare  and  shouted  :  "  Helo,  here. 
Shall  I  say  there  are  men  in  the  Shepherd's 
Abode  ?  " 

"  Come  down,  small  people  from  Morfa," 
said  Ben-Davydd.  "  Reasoning  with  the 
Big  Man  am  I." 

They  two  entered  the  Abode. 

"  Crafty  boy  is  Josi  Llandwr,"  said 
Tim. 

222 


THE    COMFORTER 


"Mouth  you  wisely,"  said  the  preacher. 
44  Base  is  the  turk  and  miserable.  Deceit 
is  in  his  clay  and  his  debts  are  as  many  as 
there  are  flowers  in  his  land." 

44  Solemn  serious,  man  nice  !  Say  him 
more  again." 

44  Low  is  the  black.  4  Denounce  you 
Josi  Llandwr  in  Sion,  now,  Bern,' 
said  the  Big  Man  to  me.  4  God  bach,'  I 
answered,  4  without  passion  am  I,  indeed. 
And  weary  with  sorrow.'  The  Big  Man 
answered  :  4  Bern,  for  why  you  did  not 
complain  then,  man  ?  Send  a  wife  to 
you  I  will  in  a  hurry.  But  remember 
that  bad  is  the  herring  of  Llandwr.     Has 


he  not  his  eye  on  Becca  Deinol  ?  His 
old  feet  splay  like  the  mouth  of  an  avon." 

44  Thanks  very  great  to  you,  religious 
Respected,"  said  Tim.  44  We  in  Saron 
shall  wail  for  a  whole  night  for  Mishtress 
Bern-Davy  dd." 

Tim  and  Becca  stayed  over  the  night  at 
the  Shepherd's  Abode,  and  in  the  morn- 
223 


CAPEL   SION 


ing    they    arose,    Tim    saying :     "  Large 
thanks,  Respected.     Off  we  go." 

"  Young  is  the  day,  dear  me,"  answered 
Bern-Davydd.     "  Wait  you  a  time  bach." 

So  Tim  and  Becca  remained  until  near 
twilight,  and  they  rose  again. 

But  Bern-Davydd  said  :  "  Don't  you 
leave  me  now,  then.  Gone  to  the  Palace 
has  the  Mishtress.  Tarry  you  with  me 
until  the  morning." 

As  the  light  of  that  day  was  darkening 
Tim  said  :   "  Walking  am  I  for  the  horse." 

"  A  terrible  one  you  was,"  cried  Bern- 
Davydd.  "  Sit  you  down,  you  and  the 
wench."  He  turned  his  face  away,  and  he 
brought  forth  Sara's  petticoat  and  frock. 
Of  these  he  said :  "  Stoutish  was  the 
Mishtress.  Take  you  off  your  affair, 
Becca   fach,    and   clothe   yourself." 

Becca  put  on  herself  Sara's  frock 
and  petticoat,  and  she  laughed,  saying  : 
"  Well — well,  a  large  woman  I  feel. 
How  shall  I  say  ?  " 

224 


THE    COMFORTER 


Bern-Davydd  replied :  "  A  miracle 
bach  the  Big  Father  performed  on  Sara 
Abram."  He  laid  Sara's  Sabbath  boots 
at  Becca's  feet,  and  he  raised ,  his  voice : 
"  Sit  you  down,  Becca  Tim  Deinol,  and 
draw  the  boots  on  your  feet." 


Printed  by  Butler  &  Tanner  Frame  and  Londtn 

Q  225 


How  the  Critics    have    welcomed  "My  People." 

The  Daily  Telegraph. — "  Out  of  West  Wales  has  come  a  book  of  remark- 
able power.  .  .  .  We  shall  be  surprised  if  '  My  People  '  does  not  arrest 
popular  attention." 

The  Outlook. — "  The  book  has  left  us  entranced,  left  us  amazed." 

The  English  Review. — "  As  social  documents,  as  literature,  they  are 
remarkable." 

Westminster  Gazette. — "  Nothing  but  artistic  purpose,  and  the  rarer  en- 
dowment of  artistic  capacity,  could  have  carried  a  writer  triumphantly  through 
his  welter  of  meanness  and  brutality  and  hypocritical  depravity.  Mr.  Evans 
neither  falters  nor  stoops." 

Punch. — "  Quite  one  of  the  most  remarkable  books  I  have  encountered  for 
a  long  time.  ...  I  can  best  compare  *  My  People  *  to  the  grimmest  passages 
of  Hardy,  told  in  the  language  of  the  Old  Testament." 

The  Nation. — "  We  know  ourselves  nothing  to  put  beside  the  merciless, 
sardonic  silhouettes  of  Welsh  peasant  ways.  .  .  .  What  is  remarkable,  incisive 
edge  and  contracted  force.  Not  a  single  comment  or  superfluous  word  mars 
their  tense  directness." 

The  Sphere  (Mr.  Clement  Shorter). — "  I  am  quite  unable  to  withhold 
admiration  from  this  book.  .  .  .  To  censure  this  book  at  the  libraries  is  one  of 
the  many  gross  impertinences  of  which  they  are  guilty  from  time  to  time." 

The  Bookman  (Edwin  Pugh). — "  I  say  now  deliberately,  I  have  never  before 
had  brought  to  my  notice  so  remarkable  a  first  book  as  '  My  People.' " 

The  Literary  World. — "  '  My  People  '  gives  ample  evidence  that  Mr.  Evans 
is  the  most  original  and  arresting  writer  modern  Wales  has  produced." 

Athenaeum  (First  Notice). — "  Mr.  Evans  knows  his  subject  in  and  out.  .  .  . 
We  see  in  his  short  stories  the  workings  of  a  narrow  creed,  so  hopelessly  an- 
thropomorphic as  to  specify  the  Almighty  as  the  Big  Man,  devoid  of  spirituality 
in  its  exaction  of  the  sacrifice  of  a  pig,  followed  by  the  personal  intercession  with 
his  Creator  of  the  village  preacher — the  '  Respected '  as  he  is  called." 

Evening  Standard. — "  A  strong,  notable  book,  suggesting  a  strength  not 
fully  demonstrated  in  these  sketches." 

Globe. — "  It  is  strong  meat  for  strong  men.  It  is  never  cynical — only  in- 
exorably just." 

Truth. — "  The  Author  is  such  an  artist  that  you  regret  all  the  more  his  choice 
of  a  subject  of  unrelieved  ugliness." 

The  Observer. — "  This  book  is  a  revelation." 

Boston  Evening  Transcript. — "  It  portrays  the  Welsh  peasant  as  he  and 
she  have  never  been  portrayed  before ;  we  have  nothing  in  modern  literature  to 
compare  with  it." 

Weekly  Dispatch. — "  No  one  has  arisen  to  dispute  the  truth  of  this  book. 
No  critic  has  declared  its  frankness  in  any  way  offensive.  .  .  .  But  the  people 
who  sell  books  have  combined  to  keep  this  terrible  secret  of  West  Wales  as  deeply 
hidden  as  possible.    Why?" 

The  Standard. — "  He  is  certainly  one  who  should  make  a  mark  in  literature." 

Bystander. — "  As  a  literary  document  ...  *  My  People  '  is  altogether  out 
of  the  ordinary.    Here  is  drama,  a  certain  grim  humour,  above  all  real  power." 


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DR.  HENRY  GOLDMAN 

FINE  BOOKS 

703   1-2  W.   6TH   ST. 

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